


Miscellaneous Anthology

by meanderingmirth



Series: Short Collection [3]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, please check the notes for any possible warnings!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-10 04:20:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 35,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5570998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of prompts via requests on Tumblr.</p><p>*This batch of prompts are complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hyuk/Ken - Hands

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: Hyuken! Size difference! Pleasr and thank you~
> 
> 15/12/12

He’s not sure how they got to this point, but Jaehwan had been lolling about on Sanghyuk’s bed doing horrible voices for the stuffed animals scattered about when Sanghyuk finally put down his textbooks, crosses the room, and reaches down to grab Jaehwan’s cheeks and smoosh them together, effectively cutting off the cutesy fake voices mid-syllable.

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk says, a thin-lipped smile on his face as he hovers over Jaehwan. “I am trying to study here.”

Jaehwan bats his eyelashes innocently up at his boyfriend. “But you’re not paying attention to me,” he says, words slightly muffled. He expects Sanghyuk to roll his eyes, or to tell him off, or to grumble about Jaehwan acting his age, but what he doesn’t expect is for Sanghyuk’s eyes to narrow. He’s suddenly aware of Sanghyuk’s hand on his face, the single expanse of palm that cups his chin as Sanghyuk squeezes Jaehwan’s cheeks tighter with his thumb and fingers.

“I said we’d get takeout together after I’m done these two chapters,” Sanghyuk says lowly, giving Jaehwan’s jaw the slightest of shakes, and Jaehwan swears his heart rate has just increased to mach speeds. But Sanghyuk is moving away already, a disgruntled expression crossing his face as he snatches his stuffed animals away from Jaehwan as well.

“Also, will you please stop making my ducks reenact lines from 21 Jump Street? You’re destroying their innocence.”

“Oh please, as if they could be innocent if they sit around on your _bed_ ,” Jaehwan croaks, throat dry as he sits up on the bed. Sanghyuk shoots him a winning smile over his shoulder as he settles back at his desk. Jaehwan watches as he hefts his heavy textbook up with one large hand, long fingers splayed over the glossy cover as he rearranges his notes, pens, and stuffed ducks around him. It’s the same hands that pressed down on Jaehwan’s chest before, fingers that curled around his biceps as they kissed, palms so large they could hold his jaw and tilt his face up towards Sanghyuk’s own.

Jaehwan unfurls his legs and pushes himself off the bed, grinning to himself as he saunters over to where Sanghyuk’s sitting. He’s sure they could go over the chapters together later, after more important matters are taken care of.


	2. Hyuk/Ken - A Switch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Drabble prompt!- hyuk usually tops, but jaehwan convinces him to bottom for the first time ^_^
> 
> 15/12/17
> 
> *nsfw

“How did I _ever_  let you talk me into doing this—” Sanghyuk splutters, grinding his teeth together as he clutches at the headboard, bracing himself unsteadily on his knees and elbows. He arches as Jaehwan slides in slowly, much too slowly, seemingly unaware of Sanghyuk’s internal suffering.

“Too late to back out now,” Jaehwan pants, hands warm against Sanghyuk’s hips, and he nudges forwards a little more. Sanghyuk drops his head and bites back a moan, feeling like his muscles have liquified under Jaehwan’s touch.

“You’re being too careful,” he groans. “Jaehwan, just—”

“Eh?” Jaehwan asks, and Sanghyuk has to resist the urge to reach back and smack his boyfriend. But Jaehwan’s quite the sight; sweaty bangs turned a darker shade of brown and sticking to his temples, plush lips bitten red in concentration, and the couple necklace flashing silver against his naked chest.

The other half of the necklace is currently swinging forwards and whacking Sanghyuk’s chin as Jaehwan beings to thrust forwards with vigour now, his pace uneven and it’s about to drive Sanghyuk up the wall. He really needs to stop giving in to Jaehwan’s huge puppy eyes and his on-the-spur ideas and learn to develop some resistance against that fantastically wonderful tongue thing Jaehwan does when they’re kissing too, come to think of it. If he did, Sanghyuk wouldn’t be here right now, ready to die of sexual frustration on Jaehwan’s bed because his boyfriend likes to experiment. Sanghyuk’s only twenty, damn it; he’s still young.

“Hm, this is complicated,” Jaehwan’s musing to himself, hands wandering between gripping Sanghyuk’s hips to pressing against the dip of his spine to sliding over his thighs, touch feather-light. “Hm, should I—”

Before Sanghyuk could demand _what the heck do you have to think about so much when we’re fucking_ , Jaehwan pushes forwards a little too quickly and Sanghyuk yelps, arms giving out as he drops face first into the bed, pleasure tingling in his spine. “Jaehwan, _what the hell_ —”

“Sorry,” Jaehwan says sheepishly, but his next thrust is just as fast, angled the same way, and Sanghyuk just knows he’s being played right now.

“See if I ever let you fuck me again,” he gasps, fists clenching into the pillow like a man possessed, and Jaehwan leans over, pressing himself against Sanghyuk’s back as he eases Sanghyuk’s fingers off the material.

“You wouldn’t miss out on this for anything, Hyukkie, I’m way too good,” Jaehwan teases, his mouth next to Sanghyuk’s ear, and Sanghyuk pretends to huff when Jaehwan nibbles at his earlobe.

“Don’t get a big head now,” he warns, turning his palm over so Jaehwan could lace their fingers together when the elder finally picks up a proper pace. He might not say it right now, but hell, yeah, he’d definitely agree to this again.


	3. Ravi/Ken - Cute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Wonjae; Ravi calls Ken cute 4 times a day (we all know it's more than that)
> 
> 15/12/24

Hakyeon calls it endearing and Sanghyuk calls him a sap. Hongbin likes to joke and tell Wonshik he’s committing an offence every time he does it, and Taekwoon just sort of brushes the two of them aside whenever it happens, giving them wild hair ruffles. But Wonshik can’t help it; it’s probably ingrained into his biological functions by now, but he can’t let a day go by without calling Jaehwan _cute_.

Offence Number One:

It occurs when they’re getting up. The two of them are the last ones to actually return to consciousness, and as Wonshik stumbles into the bathroom, looking for a face towel, he sees Jaehwan standing in front of the sink, eyes drooping shut despite his valiant attempts to stay awake. A rough chuckle escapes Wonshik before he could stop himself, and he reaches over, giving Jaehwan a gentle pinch to the cheek.

“Cute,” he hums, and Jaehwan snorts back into an upright position, toothpaste smeared around his lips, and he casts Wonshik a look of sleepy confusion as he exits the bathroom in search of proper clothes.

Offence Number Two:

They’re lounging around in the dressing room, half-dressed in their performance outfits with their make up in various stages of completion. It’s not as noisy as it could’ve been because most of the other members are either reviewing scripts or dozing off, but Jaehwan has chosen to play a game on his phone instead. His eyebrows are furrowed in intense concentration as he tries to score, and every time he misses or his character dies he stomps his feet and makes a noise similar to a hissing kettle to show his dissatisfaction.

And then there’s Wonshik, sitting by Jaehwan with his head resting on Jaehwan’s shoulder, laughing each time Jaehwan pulls a face or whines at his loss. “Cute,” he laughs, reaching up to poke Jaehwan in the nose, and gets a whack to his hands for his efforts.

Offence Number Three:

When they’re finally done their stage, they’re bowing and saying goodbye to the fans that travelled to see them today. The lights blaze hotly down on them, and they’re all sweating after an intensive performance. Wonshik pinches the collar of his shirt and does his best to fan himself with it, feeling kind of gross, but he’s pleased with today’s showcase and it seems like the others are too. Next to him, Jaehwan flips his mouthpiece out of the way before suddenly shaking his head like a dog, whipping his hair back and forth so droplets of sweat fly from his bangs. Fans scream, Hongbin shoves Jaehwan, jokingly chastising him for being gross, and Wonshik immediately wraps his arms around Jaehwan, squeezing lightly.

“That’s cute,” he laughs, even as Jaehwan tries to shake his hair at him with a wide, mischievous grin on his face.

Offence Number Four:

There is traffic on the way back to the studio. It’s nothing new, really, but it’s also a little overcast outside today, so it’s not long before they start to doze off one by one, fatigue taking over after waking up so early, dancing, and then herding off to several interviews during the afternoon. The van is filled with the sounds of quiet snuffling, soft snoring, and the song playing from the radio in the front seat. Wonshik’s tired, but he’s not feeling sleepy enough to snooze in the car yet. Besides, there’s the beginnings of a new tune forming in his head, so he pulls his notebook out of his backpack and starts to jot notes down.

Something shifts in his peripherals and he looks up to see Jaehwan watching him from the seat in front of his, his chin propped up on the back of the chair like a child. Grinning, Wonshik reached out and bopped Jaehwan’s nose, taking delight in watching Jaehwan scrunch his face up. “Cute,” he whispers, and continues to work on his song as Jaehwan hums along to the few notes he’s got down.

Offence Number Five (?):

It is late by the time Jaehwan cracks open the doors of the practice room, feeling the cooler, fresher air wash over him as he exited the cramped space he’d holed himself up in for the past couple of hours. His neck pops when he rolls it and his stomach grumbled rather loudly, protesting a lack of sustenance and general neglect. Rubbing his tummy absent-mindedly, Jaehwan wanders over to the room where Wonshik is undoubtably slaving away in front of his laptop, thoughts of noodles in takeout boxes and side dishes in tiny containers as he pushes open the door to Wonshik’s room.

But those thoughts are quickly replaced when he’s greeted with the sight of Wonshik sleeping at his desk, headphones set off to the side and the screensaver montage flashing across his screen. His face is pillowed in his folded arms and his mouth is open as he exhales quietly. It’s rare that Wonshik doesn’t snore, but maybe it’s the weird angle he’s propped himself up in, or something. Jaehwan can’t stop the little smile that curls the corners of his mouth as he slides his own sweater off his shoulders and drapes it over Wonshik’s sleeping form instead.

“Cute,” he murmurs, leaning over to press a little kiss against Wonshik’s forehead, and turns the light out as he leaves the practice room.


	4. Ravi/Ken - Notice Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hey there I was just wondering if I could request a raken with Ravi crushing on ken from afar and he tries to work up the courage to ask him out on a date? <3 good luck with your midterms and school stuff!
> 
> 15/12/24

“Why are you _still_ here?” Sanghyuk asks in exasperation when he arrives with the fourth drink Wonshik had ordered. The tall glass joins the three other empty ones surrounding the computer Wonshik had been sitting at for the past couple of hours now. The elder of the two pulls a face and shifts in his plastic seat, making it creak as he withers under Sanghyuk’s judging stare.

“I just don’t know what to say to him!” Wonshik whines, staring forlornly down at his screen. Sanghyuk scoffs.

“Oi, Wonshik, this is an internet café, not a bar. It’s not like you have a lot of competition coming from the people here; those gamers are far more interested in their quests than your crush over there.”

“Shh!” Wonshik hisses, whacking Sanghyuk’s arm as he tries to glance discreetly at the man in question. He was young, with curly brown hair and giant glasses perched on his long nose. He was also intensely focused between some image on the computer screen and the open sketchbook on the tabletop. “Don’t point! He’ll see!”

Sanghyuk’s eyes nearly rolled off his head as he started clearing away the dirty glasses on Wonshik’s side of the table. “Just go up and say something to him, it’s less weird than you sulking around by yourself and buying drinks every hour so Manager Jung doesn’t kick you out.”

“But what if he thinks _that’s_ weird?” Wonshik asks, crumbling his napkins with sweaty palms. “What if he hates me afterwards?”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Sanghyuk sighs. “But what I do know is that that guy over there likes to drink the café’s signature tropical juice, watches One Piece when he’s not sketching, and leaves in exactly an hour like he does every single day. So if you want to talk to him, it’s gotta be now.”

His friend sweeps his dishcloth over the expanse of Wonshik’s table and walks off before Wonshik could continue, leaving him to pout down at his new drink. He chewed on the straw as he peeked over the side of his monitor to look at the cute guy again. The image on the browser had changed now; it looked like the exterior of some building. His head was bowed as his hand moved over the thick sketchpad, drawing something Wonshik couldn’t see. He gulped, trying to remember what Sanghyuk had told him before stopping the next server that passed by and placing an order for a tropical juice.

Wonshik spends the next couple of minutes gnawing his straw to death while he waits, and when Sanghyuk comes back, a smug smirk on his face and a glass full of sweet juice on his tray, Wonshik swipes the drink and gives his friend a harmless nudge in the side.

He stuffs his phone back into his pocket, picks up the two drinks, and stands. The cute artist has straightened up now, and he’s got his chin propped up on his palm as he scrolls through the search results.

Wonshik wills his legs not to turn into jelly, tries to remember how to smile, and walks over.


	5. Ravi/Ken - Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Wonjae college au with Ken who auditions for a musical to get with theater tech/music guy Ravi!
> 
> 15/12/29

The guy auditioning on stage is currently belting out an impressive rendition of _Let It Go_ , and Jaehwan supposes he should feel a little more pressured about the competition around him. But Wonshik is also currently standing in front of him and his cologne smells fantastic, so Jaehwan finds that he really couldn’t be bothered with anything else.

Wonshik hums along to Elsa’s lines as he fiddles with the microphone, shimmying his hips a little, and Jaehwan has to make an effort in calming his beating heart. He really should’ve been getting butterflies over his upcoming performance in front of seasoned musical performers at their college’s drama club, but instead it’s over the theatre tech he accidentally befriended at the beginning of the school year: Kim Wonshik with his cute droopy eyes and surprisingly deep voice, the signature snapback that he’s never without and the fluffy, over-dyed platinum blond hair that peeks out from under the sides of his hat. Jaehwan wouldn’t consider himself a rash man, but impulsively submitting his application to audition for the drama club’s upcoming musical just because Wonshik let slip that he will be working on the sound crew— well, that might’ve been just a tad bit spontaneous.

“Nervous?” Wonshik asks lowly, leaning in, and Jaehwan’s rather thankful for the dim lighting of the theatre that shades his warm face.

“A little,” he laughs quietly. “The level of performances I’m seeing up there is no joke.”

“Hakyeon pays a lot of attention to the auditions,” Wonshik nods, glancing over to the drama club president at the judge’s table. “He’s a tough one to impress.” He waggles his eyebrows at Jaehwan. “Think you’ve got it in you to wow him?”

“Duh,” Jaehwan says, but he knows that of all the people in the room there’s only one person he’s really aiming to impress.

Let It Go Guy finishes off with a dramatic flail of his arms, and Wonshik hastily hands the microphone over to Jaehwan as a smatter of lukewarm applause sounds through the theatre. “Whoops, gotta head back to the sound booth, Sanghyuk’s probably wondering where I’ve gone,” he says sheepishly. “Good luck, Jaehwan!”

“Thanks,” Jaehwan replies, waving Wonshik off in what he hopes is a relatively unaffected manner. He’s supposed to be the cool older schoolmate after all, not the rash lovestruck dummy that uses bizarre methods to get closer to his crush.

He climbs on stage when his name is called, blinking under the bright lights, and does his best not to fidget when Hakyeon flips through the application he submitted. Next to him, vice-president Taekwoon is stirring a mug of coffee with a sleepy expression, and Jaehwan kind of hopes the guy won’t fall asleep on him.

“Lee Jaehwan?” Hakyeon asks, and Jaehwan answers in affirmation. He glances discreetly up at the sound booth, where Wonshik is sliding into his seat next to a tall blond boy, until Hakyeon catches his attention again.

“You’re a member of the Fine Arts Club?” the senior student asks, and the look on his face is something along the lines of _why is an art student auditioning for a musical_. Jaehwan doesn’t blame him; he has no noteworthy performances to include on his application other than his stint at a local improv club, but he knows he’s got a voice.

“I am,” Jaehwan says, his voice echoing a little in the theatre. “But I can sing, and I’ll be performing _Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?_ from the Cinderella musical.”

Hakyeon raises an eyebrow, but his expression is one of curiosity as he settles back into his seat. “Good luck, Jaehwan,” he says, and that’s the cue for the Wonshik to start playing Jaehwan’s audio file.

He smiles, opens his mouth, and sings.

When he finishes his song, Taekwoon’s sitting with his coffee mug halfway to his open mouth and Hakyeon is whacking his vice-president in the arm, not even bothering to conceal his sputterings of “That is a good egg up there, Taek, we’re passing him, we  _need_ him—”, but Jaehwan is only watching Wonshik.

And damn, Wonshik is so beautiful when he’s got stars in his eyes and an awed smile on his face that Jaehwan almost hopes the techie will realize that the song he just sang was meant to serenade _him._


	6. Ravi/Ken - New Year, New Me (and You)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Shy art student Ken starting off the new year's with a kiss at Ravi's frat party!  
> Best wishes for your 2016 (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> 16/01/01

He had just managed to find a comfortable spot on the sagging, soda-stained cushions of the heinous couch when Hongbin and Hakyeon burst out from the crowd and skidded to an unsteady halt in front of him.

“ _There_ you are,” Hongbin cries as he stares down at Jaehwan. “Where have you been all night?”

“Uh, here,” Jaehwan huffs, squinting up at his friends. He’d barely moved at all, only once to get a beer and another time to find the bathroom, but he’s still sweaty and uncomfortably warm around the collar of his button-up.

“That’s no fun,” Hakyeon says, fanning himself with one hand while he reaches down and grasps Jaehwan’s wrist with the other. “C’mon over on this side! Taekwoon’s mixing drinks and we’re gonna toast with it to the new year’s!”

“I already drank,” Jaehwan whines, even as Hakeyon and Hongbin drag him off the sofa and pull him through a mess of gyrating bodies. “I wanna go home!”

“You’ve held out so far, don’t bail on us when there’s literally less than fifteen minutes till 2016,” Hongbin yells, almost tripping over somebody’s discarded jacket. They pile into the corner of the kitchen, where a small crowd has gathered around Taekwoon as he stirs some electric blue concoction in a punch bowl. Jaehwan gulps.

“Guys, we found Jaehwan!” Hakyeon shouts, and Jaehwan suddenly finds himself shuffled about like a confused puppy until he ends up jammed between Sanghyuk’s lanky frame and Wonshik’s broad shoulders.

“Jaehwan!” Wonshik cries, his expression lighting up as he links his elbow through Jaehwan’s. “There you are!”

“Yeah,” Jaehwan replies weakly, though his throat is scratchy and he’s fairly certain his voice is non-existent in the din. “Here I am.”

Wonshik beams at him, even as some of the other guys around the table stare curiously at Jaehwan. This is why he wasn’t looking forwards to Wonshik’s new year’s party; he might be friends with the bubbly composition major, but it’s only because they shared three different art classes together this semester. Jaehwan has no idea how to interact with the rest of Wonshik’s party-going friends packed into the small house— he’s been shifty and nervous about it all night.

“Hey,” Wonshik says, catching Jaehwan’s attention. “You okay? You look like you need some air.”

“Yeah,” Jaehwan says immediately, trying not to sound too desperate. “I’ll just pop outside for a second—”

“I’ll come with you,” Wonshik interrupts, and before Jaehwan could stop him, the younger student has reached down to grasp his hand, leading Jaehwan past the crowd and out the backdoor. Jaehwan staggers out onto the quiet patio, shivering a little because of the chill. Behind him, Wonshik leaves a gap in the sliding door before walking over to Jaehwan.

“It’s not as cold as I thought it’d be,” Wonshik comments, and Jaehwan shoots him an incredulous look.

“Really? I’m honestly freezing,” he chatters, and then there’s a flurry of movement on Wonshik’s side as the other unzips his sweater and throws it around Jaehwan’s shoulders without a second thought.

“Wonshik—” Jaehwan begins, protesting, but Wonshik makes a shushing noise and yanks the front of the sweater together. It makes Jaehwan stumble forwards, a little too close into Wonshik’s personal space, but Wonshik doesn’t look like he minds all that much.

“You helped keep my ass afloat for an entire semester in art class,” Wonshik jokes. “The least I can do is loan you a sweater when you’re cold.”

Jaehwan flushes and lowers his gaze to the collar of Wonshik’s dark t-shirt, where the tendrils of the tattoo scrawled on his collarbones are peeking out from beneath the fabric. “It wasn’t troublesome,” he says shyly, and feels Wonshik’s hands tighten a little.

“I’m really glad we got to spend all that time together, you know,” Wonshik says softly. “Class was honestly a lot of fun, and it was great chilling with you in the studio. I really like hanging out with you.”

“Is that so?” Jaehwan chuckles bashfully, willing his pounding heart to still, but then Wonshik’s hands leave the sweater and closes around Jaehwan’s instead, and that plan flies out of the window.

“Jaehwan,” Wonshik says, and his tone is solemn but Jaehwan can see the nervous tension in Wonshik’s shoulder and the slightly panicked look he usually gets in his eyes when the professor announces they’re doing peer critiques. “Jaehwan, I— I like you.”

Jaehwan feels like the ground has fallen out from beneath him as colour rises high in his cheeks. His breath hitches as he squeaks out, “You _like_ me? Since when?”

“Probably since you first offered to help me with that first assignment in Professor Hwang’s class,” Wonshik jokes, his expression wistful. “I was hopeless, but you were so patient with me.”

“You’re an exception,” Jaehwan admits. He’s giddy; he hardly dares to believe that Kim Wonshik would be interested in him, the shy art kid that hoards the best easel in the studio. “I’m normally a kinda impatient guy, to be honest.”

“Wow,” Wonshik laughs. “I feel special.”

Jaehwan takes a breath, plucks up his courage, and replies, “You are, you know. Special. To me.”

He doesn’t miss the way Wonshik’s eyes flash, or the little tug of his hands that brings Jaehwan closer, nor the way he tilts his own head up a little so that their noses brushed. The noise inside the house is getting louder as people begin counting down, their voices echoing in unison as Wonshik’s eyes dart downwards.

Jaehwan angles his head, heart hammering to the beat of the last three numbers in the countdown, and when their lips finally touched, he could feel Wonshik’s smile against his own as the crowd inside erupts with cheers and finally ushered in a brand new year.


	7. N/Leo - Tell Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: neo are friends w/ benefits. taekwoon low key wants more but hakyeon makes it clear every time that they're just friends. One of them (Leo or n) starts to get courted by another person and things start to get complicated. Please include jealousy and pining ! also bottom!leo thanks I love your writing!!
> 
> 16/01/03
> 
> *nsfw

He’s never really cried during sex before, save for that one time he accidentally banged his head on the headboard when they collapsed into Hakyeon’s bed months ago after getting fantastically drunk at Wonshik’s birthday party, but this time it’s different. This time, the emotions are welling up inside of him and he can’t contain it anymore.

“Shh,” Hakyeon whispers, and his hands are cradling Taekwoon’s face with the gentlest of touches as he rocks slowly into him. Taekwoon shudders as he holds back a sob, fingers digging into the muscle in Hakyeon’s back as he clutches on for dear life. He feels Hakyeon kissing him on the forehead, then on his eyelids, and when their mouthes press together, he can feel the wetness of his tears on Hakyeon’s lips.

“I’m sorry,” Hakyeon murmurs, one hand sliding down to cup the nape of Taekwoon’s neck tenderly. His other hand is pushing sweat-damp hair away from Taekwoon’s eyes, and Taekwoon turns to nuzzle his face against Hakyeon’s palm. “I’m so fucking sorry, Taekwoon. I made you wait for too long.”

“Yes, you did,” Taekwoon mumbles, opening his eyes. He doesn’t make eye contact with Hakyeon, choosing instead to stare off at the dresser sitting in the corner of the room. “I waited— and you knew, you knew just how much I wanted you—”

“And now you know that _I_  want you too,” Hakyeon interrupts, and there’s the slightest hint of a plea in his voice. His hips stutter, and Taekwoon moans at the sensation of Hakyeon inside of him, pressed so closely against him. They’ve had sex so many times together, in positions and situations much more creative than this, but there’s something more intimate, more raw, about what they’re doing now.

“You’ve never said that before,” Taekwoon says quietly, turning slowly to look at Hakyeon. This time, it’s Hakyeon’s turn to close his eyes, and there’s a furrow between his brows. His expression looks painful. It’s regretful.

“And it was a mistake to say that,” Hakyeon replies. He lowers his head until his forehead is resting against Taekwoon’s clavicle. “I should’ve just owned up to my feelings earlier, not waited until someone else decided to come into the picture— fuck, Taekwoon, don’t— don’t go with them.”

“How can I believe you?” Taekwoon chokes out, even though his heart soars and his fingertips tremble at Hakyeon’s confession. He tangles his fingers into Hakyeon’s hair and tugs lightly, making Hakyeon lift his head. “I pined for you for so long, and you know it. If this isn’t real, if you’re not real about this, I really— I won’t know if I could forgive you.”

He’s surprised by a sudden flurry of movement; Hakyeon’s arms slide under his back and hauls him up. Taekwoon yelps in one second as Hakyeon settles back into a sitting position and then whines out loud the next, when Hakyeon pulls him down onto his lap and thrusts upwards again.

“I’m not lying,” Hakyeon says, his voice a rough mixture of desire and apology. His hands are gentle, infinitely gentle when he touches Taekwoon’s face again. He doesn’t hesitate to rest his hands on the sides of Hakyeon’s neck either, thinking, knowing that Hakyeon is his, truly his—

“Mine,” Hakyeon pleads, mouthing the word desperately against Taekwoon’s lips. “ _Mine, please_ —”

And Taekwoon kisses back just as hard, searing the word like a promise that can’t be taken back anymore in the tiniest gaps of intimate space left between them.


	8. OT6 (Ken centric) - Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ot6 cuddles and babying a tired Ken after a long day
> 
> 16/01/05

When Hakyeon finally manages to crack the door open and stumble back into the apartment, he’s surprised but also not really that surprised to see how dim it is inside. The only light comes from the kitchen, where the sparse sounds of cooking can be heard, and a warm, orange-yellow glow spills out of the den, where soft murmurs and quiet shuffling could be heard.

Smiling to himself, he toes off his shoes and walks inside to find the boys, minus Taekwoon, doing their best impression of a hamster pile on the two mattresses placed side by side on the floor. They’ve got blankets and pillows and the giant Chopper toy piled in with them, and it’s a little hard to see where everyone is at first, but then the quilt wiggles and it’s Sanghyuk who pokes his head out, his blond hair ruffled and sticking up at the back.

“Hey, you’re back,” the youngest grins. “Come join our little huddle.”

“Sure, after I change,” Hakyeon hums. He can see Wonshik on his back in the middle, hair fanning out on one of the pillows and Hongbin curled around Wonshik’s other side, but Jaehwan is lying on top of Wonshik, looking small and content. He peeks over his shoulder and gave Hakyeon a tired smile.

“Welcome home,” Jaehwan says, and Hakyeon’s heart is hurting at the sight of eyebags under Jaehwan’s usually expressive eyes, and the scratchy exhaustion tinting his voice. He’s glad that the others have already started this cuddle pile before he got home.

“Thanks,” Hakyeon replies, kneeling down to pat Jaehwan’s cheek. Jaehwan beams, rubbing his head against Hakyeon’s palm like a cat, and it makes Wonshik chuckle lowly and wind his arms tighter around Jaehwan’s middle. The motion jolts Hongbin, who pretends to grumble as he plops his hand on top of Jaehwan’s head, scratching gently. Jaehwan nearly melts at the gentle head massage, sighing in contentment.

Fingers touch his ankle and Hakyeon looks down at Sanghyuk, who’s looking back up at him, face upside down.

“Go change and get Taekwoon to hurry up in the kitchen and come back here too,” Sanghyuk tells him, trying to tickle Hakyeon’s ankle while he speaks, and Hakyeon pinches Sanghyuk’s cheeks before jetting off, mostly because he doesn’t want Sanghyuk to grab his leg and yank him into the blanket mountain before he’s out of his jeans.

Taekwoon is indeed in the kitchen, but he’s only tidying up some of the utensils. A plate of rice balls, cutely shaped into little animals, is sitting on the countertop. Hakyeon can’t resist cooing at them.

“They’re adorable!”

“Jaehwan wanted to eat them,” Taekwoon mumbles, even though the tips of his ears are pink. “Don’t sneak one.”

“You’re babying him,” Hakyeon accuses, unable to hold back the broad grin that gives away his teasing. Taekwoon scoffs quietly, but there’s laughter in his eyes when he gives Hakyeon a knowing look.

“You’re one to talk. Go change and come back quickly. We’re going to watch a movie.”

“Alright, alright!”

When he returns, Taekwoon has burrowed in under the blankets, propped up on his elbows as he feeds Jaehwan bits of the rice ball, sneaking bites for himself in between. Hongbin and Sanghyuk are flicking through all the movies on the hard drive, trying to pick one out with Jaehwan. And buried under all of them, Wonshik is busy pressing little kisses to Jaehwan’s neck, mumbling _cute_  as he does and making the older squirm at the ticklish sensations. Hakyeon takes a moment to watch them all fondly before happily shoving his way into the pile to loud protesting even though Sanghyuk throws a leg over Hakyeon’s hip all the same, smooshing them even closer.

Jaehwan’s hand wiggles free from Wonshik’s arms and grasps blindly for Hakyeon’s under the blanket. Hakyeon immediately threads his fingers through Jaehwan’s rubbing his thumb against the back of Jaehwan’s hand in a soothing, circular motion.

“Now we’re complete,” Jaehwan says happily, eyes curving into crescents as he smiles beautifully. Hakyeon could only nod, the corners of his mouth curling upwards as he squeezes their hands together.

“We are,” he agrees. “We are.”


	9. Ravi/Ken - Seniority

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: College au raken where freshman Ravi babies Ken and takes him under his wing and calls him cute (like he always does) and doesn't realize that Ken is actually his hyung until someone points it out to him. Sorry for the rambly prompt but I just have so many feels for this ship
> 
> 16/01/06

They’ve been standing near the counter for a while now, staring up at the brightly lit menu board while the ambient sounds of people eating, talking, and laughing surrounded them. Wonshik’s been to this restaurant nearly a dozen times now, often enough for some of the regular staff to recognize him, but Jaehwan said he hadn’t eaten anywhere off campus before, and he certainly hadn’t eaten here. He’s whining as he stares up at the array of choices on the menus, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet as he does. It makes Wonshik laugh, and he immediately wraps his arms around Jaehwan’s waist, bouncing with him.

“Why are there so many _options_?” Jaehwan says, chewing on his cuticles as his eyes flit around. “How many types of ways can you even roast a chicken!”

“Just grab whatever,” Wonshik laughs, tugging playfully at the tip of Jaehwan’s ear. “All of their combos here are very good, you can’t really go wrong with anything.”

“I dunno,” Jaehwan grumbles, and then he gives Wonshik a sheepish smile. “Can you tell that I don’t really get off campus often?”

“Yeah, I can,” Wonshik says at once, and then yelps when Jaehwan elbows him sharply in retaliation. “What! It’s true! All you do is game when you’re not in class and sleep when you are in class and game when you’re supposed to sleep!”

“You make it sound so bad when you say it like that,” Jaehwan complains, but he lets Wonshik squish his cheeks and ruffle his hair all the same.

“Well, aren’t you glad you have me to drag you to events and restaurants all over the city?” Wonshik asks, and Jaehwan puts up a fake look of disgust until he grins back.

“Yeah, yeah, mister social butterfly,” he chuckles. “I am glad I ran into you during the first week of school, alright? Now quit pulling on my nose, I wanna go up and order.”

“Okay, okay,” Wonshik says, but he’s quick to give Jaehwan’s butt a pat, and Jaehwan does a goofy little shimmy before his friend going up. That’s when the bell chimes behind him as the door opens again, and he hears a familiar voice say, “Wonshik!”

He turns, and it’s Hongbin walking over with Taekwoon, Hongbin’s senior from the soccer team, trailing behind him. “Hey,” Wonshik greets, clasping Hongbin’s hand in greeting. “What’re you doing here?”

“Taekwoon and I are getting lunch before going to practice,” Hongbin says, nodding at the other. “What about you?”

“I’m doing a good today,” Wonshik says solemnly, and when Hongbin’s eyebrows arch in question, he gestures to Jaehwan, who’s now trying to choose between potato wedges or fries for his side dish. “Jaehwan’s never been to this place before, can you believe it? It’s a good thing we have the next four years for me to drag him all over the city’s hotspots.”

“Four years?” Taekwoon asks suddenly, and Wonshik blinks at him.

“Yeah, four years? I’m only a freshman, like Hongbin and Jaehwan.”

“Ah,” Taekwoon says, but then a little snort of amusement escapes from him. “Jaehwan isn’t a freshman, Wonshik.”

“Eh?” Wonshik says eloquently, staring in bemusement up at Taekwoon, not comprehending. The senior jerks his chin at Jaehwan, who’s fumbling with the piles of receipts, expired coupons and parking stubs in his wallet as he tries to find cash.

“Jaehwan’s a year below me,” Taekwoon says, while Hongbin starts to muffle his laugh behind his palm. “He’s in his third year.”

“No way,” Wonshik blurts out, reeling a little in shock, but before he can respond Jaehwan is bounding back and headbutting him in the shoulder.

“Hey, Hongbin, and Hongbin’s tall soccer friend,” Jaehwan grins. “Wanna share a table with us?”

“Sure,” Hongbin chortles, waggling his eyebrows at Wonshik. “We’re gonna go order first.”

“Alright,” Jaehwan says cheerfully, and he turns to give Wonshik an expectant look. Brain still frozen and legs working on autopilot, Wonshik follows Jaehwan as his friend scans the restaurant for a free table. The goofy, childish, baby-faced Jaehwan was two years older than him? And he’d let Wonshik dote on him and lead him all over the school he’s already spent two years at?

_No way_ , he thinks, but then Jaehwan starts skipping over to a booth by the window, and Wonshik has to pick up the pace and taper down on his stuttering heart before he follows.


	10. N/Hyuk - Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: chained up choreo chasang! Hakyeon's hand keeps getting a little closer to being dangerous and it makes sanghyuk flustered
> 
> 16/01/06

It’s nearing midnight, his stomach is growling in protest and Sanghyuk’s fairly certain his limbs have turned into jelly, but then Wonshik still finds a way to drag his body over to the music player, hoarsely calling out, “One more time!”

“Dude, you’re inhumane,” Jaehwan grunts, dabbing at his forehead with a towel. The basement practice room had started to stink of sweat a while ago, which is unsurprising, given the six grown guys jumping about inside of it. But as Sanghyuk chugs the last gulps of water from his bottle and wipes at his temples with the back of his hand, he knows that the sweat running down his face isn’t only because of all the dancing they’ve been doing for the past couple of hours.

Right on cue, the source of all Sanghyuk’s problems appears by his side, places warm hands on his shoulders and starts to steer him back towards the middle of the room. He’s grateful for the already-present flush in his cheeks when Hakyeon steps around him, smoothing his hair back and smirks at Sanghyuk.

“What, don’t tell me you’re tired already?” Hakyeon asks, and Sanghyuk automatically scoffs.

“As if,” he retorts, pushing his sleeves up his forearms. “Let’s go, grandpa.”

He grins when Hakyeon’s face scrunches in distaste and he makes a noise in the back of his throat, but then Taekwoon squeezes past and Wonshik is shouting for them to get into position, so they do.

The first minute of the dance goes by fine, like it always does, but when they reach the part where Wonshik is pulling Hongbin back in their little circle formation and Sanghyuk can already feel his heart rate picking up speeds. That is entirely because, in less than ten seconds, Wonshik is going to pretend to scrape his nails down his back on Sanghyuk’s left, but Hakyeon is going to put his right hand on Sanghyuk’s shoulder and wrap the other right around his thigh.

It’s not like Hakyeon’s pulling any tricks and nor is he monkeying around, but the slight inconsistencies that naturally pop up for each practice means that Sanghyuk’s felt Hakyeon curl his hand on nearly every single part of his thigh, intentionally high or not, and it is really, really, _really_  making him sweat.

He turns, mouthing along to the lyrics and adding a bit of extra vigour into his movements as he tries to distract himself from remembering the feeling of Hakyeon’s palm pressed against his leg, the heat searing his skin even through a layer of jeans, and the way his stomach drops whenever Hakyeon drags his hand off Sanghyuk’s thigh and moves away as per the next part of the choreo goes. It’s only for a second, he forcibly reminds himself. _It’s only a second_.

He sees Wonshik’s hands move in his peripherals, and then he feels Hakyeon’s hand on his thigh again. Breathe, he shakily reminds himself. Hang on for one more second—

Inexplicably, Hakyeon’s grip tightens on his leg, fingertips pressing right into the inseam, and Sanghyuk can’t help it. He jolts like an electric charge has gone through him before jerking his leg to the side and kneeing Hakyeon right in the face.

On the upside, after Jaehwan and Taekwoon have helped a wincing Hakyeon back up to his feet, they unanimously agree that they should end practice there. On the downside, Hakyeon’s nose is bleeding a little, and now Sanghyuk’s got guilt piled up on top of his flustered reactions. He sits glumly beside Hakyeon on one of mats, holding out a box of tissues and a trash bin for the elder as Hakyeon tilts his head back, and ice pack pressed to the bridge of his nose.

“Sorry,” Sanghyuk mumbles for the umpteenth time.

“It’s alright,” Hakyeon soothes, still impeccably their leader even though he’s got blood coming out of his nostrils. “I shouldn’t have startled you, but I lost my balance for a second and had to grab your leg.”

“Ah,” Sanghyuk says, and he can’t quite seem to maintain eye contact with Hakyeon. He’s thinking back to the surprisingly firm grip on his thigh, and then he thinks about Hakyeon kneeling on the ground, holding his nose, and he heaves a sigh and fidgets in his seat.

“Hey,” Hakyeon says suddenly, and Sanghyuk looks up. “Stretch your legs out.”

“What?” Sanghyuk asks, but he’s already complying. He leans back against the mirrors and unfolds his legs. Before he could question why, Hakyeon is tipping over and placing his head on top of Sanghyuk’s thighs, twinkling up at him with a little smile.

“I’m gonna borrow your legs for a pillow until it’s time to go,” Hakyeon says serenely. “And then, when we get up, my nose is gonna be fine and you’re going to stop looking like you’ve accidentally run over a puppy or something.”

“Right,” Sanghyuk replies, scrunching his nose up, but his heart is beating a little quickly again, so he leaves it at that and lets Hakyeon close his eyes and settle comfortably on his lap. His head is a solid weight that might make Sanghyuk’s legs fall asleep, but Hakyeon looks more relaxed lying there with a wad of tissues to his nose than he has all week.

And in the end, Sanghyuk thinks that the pitter-patter of his heart and the feeling of Hakyeon lying close to him might not be a bad feeling at all.


	11. Ravi/Hongbin - What About Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Jealous!hongbin because his boyfriend (ravi) touches ken way too often and he wants attention too  
> ( ; _ ; )/~~~
> 
> 16/01/09

“Wonshik,” Hongbin says slowly, hovering in the doorway of the bedroom as he watches his boyfriend try and fail to organize the stuff he needs to pack for their overseas showcase.

“Hm?” Wonshik asks, attention not wholly focused on Hongbin as he frowns at a couple of sweaters that just wouldn’t fit. Hongbin swallows hard and tries not to sweat too much even though his stomach is flopping about and he’s ready to collapse in on himself, but he steels himself. It’s now or never.

“W-Wonshikkie,” Hongbin all but splutters, pitching his voice a little higher than usual. It’s a cute tone, but his voice cracks a little out of nerves. “W-what are you doing right now?”

Wonshik tears his gaze away from the sweaters and gives Hongbin a look of utter shock. “Hongbin? What happened to your voice?”

“No-nothing’s wrong with my voice,” Hongbin replies, far too quickly, and he coughs he sidles into the room. He curses his own awkwardness, because skipping in would’ve looked too odd, and there’s not a lot of space _for_  skipping anyways, not when there’s Wonshik’s, Hakyeon’s, and Jaehwan’s bed crammed in there.

Wonshik’s staring at him with open concern, which makes him feel all the dumber.

“There’s definitely something up with your voice, why are you talking in such a high pitch?”

“Because I want to,” Hongbin mumbles, sticking out his lower lip. He’s not sure if he makes it wobble well enough, but he’s barely able to keep himself from scrunching his hands up out of pure embarrassment anyway. Wonshik, meanwhile, is staring at him like he’s just expressed a desire to fly to another planet.

“Is— is there a particular reason why?” Wonshik asks slowly. “You’re starting to sound like Jaehwan.”

Hongbin flushes and splutters a little. “I’m— I don’t, what are you talking about?”

Wonshik tilts his head, eyes narrowing a little, and it’s times like these that Hongbin curses Wonshik’s surprisingly intuitive nature. Maybe it’s because he’s a heartfelt, rather sensitive guy himself, and picks up on that kind of stuff like he’s got a radar on it.

“Hongbin,” Wonshik says, and he’s walking forwards, tugging at Hongbin’s clenched hands and taking them into his own. “What’s wrong?”

He can feel his shoulders slumping and his resolve crumpling, and to be honest, this act is stressing him out way more than it should. “Do you only like cute things?” he mumbles without thinking, and Wonshik’s eyebrows shoot up.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just— you know— some things—” Hongbin says, starting and stopping his sentences even though he wants to groan in frustration with himself and climb into Wonshik’s suitcase and bury himself into the pile of clothes. “You seem— well— it’s just, sometimes Jaehwan’s really… you know, cute.”

He feels his face heat up even more when he sees the realization click in Wonshik’s eyes, and then tries to turn on his heel and bolt out of the bedroom. But then arms loop around him quickly and yank him backwards, right against Wonshik, and he feels his boyfriend drop his chin onto his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Wonshik says quietly. “Is that something that concerns you?”

“No,” Hongbin answers reflexively, covering his face with a groan. “Well, more like, I just kinda wish you’d… show me the same kind of attention you showed Jaehwan.”

Wonshik’s silent for a moment, thinking, and then he loosens his arm and turns Hongbin around until they’re facing each other. His eyes are warm, and there’s an apologetic smile on his face.

“Jaehwan is cute,” Wonshik says. “And that’s his own charm. But you’re also cute, in your own way, and I also find you funny and endearingly clumsy and incredibly handsome. If I were to show you affection for all those things, I’m never gonna be able to let you go.”

Hongbin rolls his eyes and pretends to shove at Wonshik’s chest. “Get outta here, you cheese ball,” he groans, even when Wonshik laughs and presses a smacking kiss to his cheek.

“I can start fawning all over those things,” Wonshik chuckles. “I’ll cling to your arm in public, I’ll spoon feed you all of your favourite foods, I’ll tug on your ears and squish your cheeks together— ah!”

“Don’t you dare,” Hongbin chokes out, smacking Wonshik’s neck playfully trying to force the bubble of laughter down his throat. A weight he didn’t know he was feeling seemed to have lifted off his chest in the span of five minutes. It felt good; Wonshik made him feel good.

“But I think I’ll just keep those displays of affection between ourselves, right?” Wonshik asks softly, catching Hongbin’s hand in his own. “After all, if all those other people get to see your reactions, it’ll be _my_  turn to get jealous.”


	12. Leo/Ken - Tell Me You Love Me In This City Of Ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: i really really want keo/taekhwan since you haven't really written much for them and i love them ;~; could i have abo or onesided jaehwan pinning for taekwoon till he is on the point of giving up when taekwoon finally notices him. // thank you beforehand, hugs!!! :)
> 
> 16/01/09

He heaves a sigh of relief when he finally spots his manager lock up the front door and flip the open sign over to _closed_. There’s only a few stragglers left lounging about in the café section of the bookstore, but that’s not under Jaehwan’s care. The manager will close the gate for that area soon too, and then all that’s left is for him to log out of the cash register, grab his things, and then go home.

He loves his job, don’t get him wrong, but it’s been a long day in general and he’s feeling pretty unmotivated. Actually, unmotivated wouldn’t even be the word for it— gloomy and dejected might be better adjectives.

“Hey, Jaehwan!”

He looks up when he hears Heeyeon call his name, but when he does he can feel his heart plummet down to his feet; she’s walking over with Taekwoon, both of them holding boxes of books to put back in the storage. He forces a smile on his face and continues organizing the receipts on the counter.

“What’s up?”

“Could you do the take down for the autograph display with Taekwoon after you’re done that?” Heeyeon asks. “I’ve gotta dash for my dentist appointment, I’ll make it up to you later!”

Jaehwan can’t quite stop the corners of his mouth from slipping downwards, but he manages to flash his teeth and nod even though all he wants to do is curl up under the desk. Stick around for an extra half an hour cleaning up with his unrequited love tops the list of _Things Jaehwan does not like_ , right after getting colds and being tricked into watching movies where the dog dies.

“Sure, I’ll help out.”

“You’re a saint,” Heeyeon flashes him a grateful smile as the pair passes by. “Hot chocolate for you tomorrow! My treat!”

“Stingy!” Jaehwan calls after them as he pulls the key out of the register. “I want one of those croissants from the bakery while you’re at it too!”

Heeyeon sticks out her tongue at him, and he’s aware of Taekwoon’s dark eyes following him as he ducks around the table and jets off to the office in the back, till in one hand and the receipts in the other. He makes himself focus on the task at hand, and not to all the times he’d fantasized about those eyes, the way they’d blink sleepily at Jaehwan when he greets Taekwoon in the mornings, or the way they’d light up when a small child goes through the kids’ section.

And then there’s the way Taekwoon’s prone to hiding between shelves during work, flipping through the various books he’s supposed to be shelving. Jaehwan also remembers receiving the ‘Staff Recommendations’ list and scrawling out Taekwoon’s name on the stickers they slapped on the promoted books, and then curling up in bed with one or two of those novels to see what his crush liked to read. He thinks of the times he’s seen Taekwoon plop down at the adjoining café during break with a hot drink and his own book, dog-eared and well-read, well-loved.

It’s pathetic in some ways, but he can’t stop himself from longing for the same kind of love Taekwoon pours into his favourite books. He’s sick of watching from so far away, from being so close to Taekwoon yet not knowing how to approach him, and Jaehwan’s so afraid that his upbeat attitude is too much of a contrast with Taekwoon’s usually reserved one.

He drags his feet over to the display once he could no longer put it off, and Taekwoon is already there, packing away books into more boxes on a cart. He nods at Jaehwan when he walks over, eyes flicking up to Jaehwan’s face.

“Could you roll up the banners and take down the signs?” Taekwoon asks, voice soft under the hum of the heater, and Jaehwan nods wordlessly. The two of them work in silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. When Taekwoon finished putting the books away he came over to help Jaehwan wrestle the banner back into the bag. They bid their manager goodnight later, and finally, Jaehwan can bundle himself up into his coat and go home. He wonders if there’s anyone Taekwoon might go home to. Family? Roommates? A lover he’s never mentioned at work?

Jaehwan sniffs and wraps the scarf around his neck. He knows it’s not good to dwell on impossibilities, even though his heart lurches sadly at the thought of _impossibility_. Great, now he’ll just upset himself for acknowledging the facts.

Taekwoon holds the door open for him as the two of them exits at the same time. The weather has chilled significantly over the week, and Jaehwan suspects they’ll see snow very soon. He’s about to turn and head home when Taekwoon speaks up all of a sudden and shocks him into stillness.

“Jaehwan? Are you busy right now?”

He turns, surprised, and manages to answer, “No, I was going to go home. Is there something you need?”

Taekwoon looks good, he thinks, standing there in a white coat, buttoned up to his throat. His bangs peek out from under a thick wool hat, and his breath rises up in little puffs as he looks at Jaehwan. His cheeks are red.

“Would you like to go grab a coffee with me?” Taekwoon asks quietly, his dark eyes searching Jaehwan’s. There’s an emotion Jaehwan’s never seen in there before; hesitance, nervousness. Hopefulness.

“Like, as in on a date?” Jaehwan stammers out, and he thinks he might faint on the sidewalk. Taekwoon nods, scuffing his shoe shyly against the ground.

“Yeah, like a date,” the elder replies, and Jaehwan’s certain he might faint at this point. He wasn’t dreaming, was he?

“S-sure,” he breathes, taking a step forwards. “Yes, that— that would be really nice.”

Taekwoon’s smile is bright enough to warm him from the inside out.

“I know a place with hot chocolate and croissants,” Taekwoon tells him as they fell into step with each other. “You’ll love it.”

Jaehwan exhales shakily, and heart beating wildly in his chest. Something akin to excitement blossoms in his chest. “Lead the way,” he says, and his own smiles is for real this time.

High up above them, the first swirls of snow begin to descend upon the city.


	13. OT6 (Ravi centric) - Show, Not Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ot6's reaction to Ravis' 151227 performance (aka the infamous free the nipple/topless ravi)
> 
> 16/01/10

He should’ve known something was up when they made him go out to buy snacks.

When Wonshik returns to the dorm, plastic shopping bags dangling from both hands, it’s to the sight of all his group mates, the boys he’d call his brothers, family and more, curled up together on the couch with a video paused and waiting on the big screen, ready to betray him.

“No,” Wonshik says in horror, bags falling to his feet. “No,” he repeats, but if Sanghyuk’s devilish grin and the smug little look on Hakyeon’s face was anything to go by, the battle was already lost. 

“What do you mean, no?” Hakyeon asks sweetly, patting the empty spot on the sofa next to him. Jaehwan leaps off the couch and does a little jig as he jogs over to Wonshik’s side. “Come and sit down, Wonshik, we’re going to monitor our stage.”

“No we’re not,” Wonshik says, pointing an accusing finger at them. “You’re going to embarrass me. I know it.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Jaehwan asks, already trifling through the bag to find his favourite snacks. He hip checks an unsuspecting Wonshik, and it sends him flying forwards into the seat. Hakyeon’s arms are around him in an instant, and Wonshik whines, trying to (unsuccessfully) free himself.

“We take the show biz very seriously, Wonshik,” Hakyeon says sternly, but the gleam in his eyes betray his true intent. “Now sit still and watch with us. Taekwoon, hit play.”

“Don’t,” Wonshik groans, but in a rare display of compliance to Hakyeon’s words, Taekwoon lazily jabs the button on the remote and settles back in his seat on the ground, surrounded by snacks and flanked by a snickering Jaehwan and Sanghyuk. He grumbles, and he can practically feel Hongbin’s low laugh rumbling next to him.

It starts out simply enough; they descend from a moving platform, fans are screaming, and the music plays. Jaehwan _oohs_  like a little child and says loudly, “Look how tall we are!” 

“That earpiece was shaped funny,” Taekwoon complains quietly, squinting at his motions on the big screen. Wonshik swallows heard, slouching in his seat. Of course they’d go through the trouble of finding a high resolution clip of their performance _and_  setting up the television for this. The details were so incredibly crisp and the lines were so clear; it was hard not to catch ever little thing that went on in their performance. He could actually see the sheen of sweat glistening on Hakyeon’s collar bones in HD.

“Oh, oh, here’s the dance break,” Sanghyuk says excitedly. The music changes in an instant, and then Wonshik’s watching the others toss him over Hakyeon’s entire body like he was a rag doll. Sanghyuk bursts out laughing.

“We’re soarin’, _flyin’_ ,” he sings, but then on-screen Wonshik rips his blazer open, and Hakyeon pretends to gasp while Hongbin practically shakes with suppressed giggles.

“Oh my god, look at you, messing with your hair, trying to be cool!”

“Stop,” Wonshik huffs, headbutting Hongbin’s shoulder. “As if you haven’t done the same before!”

“Guys, focus!” Sanghyuk shouts, whacking blindly behind him. “This is the best part.”

“Argh,” Wonshik moans when he sees them fall into formation. He covers his face with his hands, knowing what’s coming.

“Hongbinnie, hold his hands down!” Hakyeon shouts, and Wonshik yells, writhing as Hongbin grabs his hands and holds them down.

“Guys, please, c’mon,” he cries, blushing. “Nothing to see here, la la la, we all know what happened, there’s no need for this—”

On the screen, Jahewan’s in front, doing what they dubbed ‘the shoulder wiggle’ during practice. When Wonshik sees himself tearing the blaze off his body, Hakyeon and Jaehwan scream in ear-splitting decibels, Hongbin does a full-body cringe (complete with kicking), and Sanghyuk does some kind of caveman roar, seizes Taekwoon by the shoulders, and proceeds to shake the elder silly.

“You guys are so over the top,” Wonshik cries feebly, feeling the heat rush up his neck and face. Steam might’ve started pouring out of his ears by now.

“Oh god, the nipple, he’s got a _nipple!_ ” Sanghyuk wails.

“It’s over,” Jaehwan sobs. “My poor virgin eyes will never be the same again.” 

“I didn’t raise you this way, young man!” Hakyeon yells, shoving him down. Wonshik splutters, trying to free his hands from Hongbin’s hold so that he might defend himself.

“Excuse _me_ , but who is it that constantly likes to lift his leg up and pose in that ridiculous position?”

“I dare you to say that again, you scrawny little boy,” Hakyeon challenges playfully, eyes blazing, and Wonshik’s probably would’ve fired back a witty retort had Taekwoon not intervened by leaning over and actually biting into Wonshik’s stomach, making him yelp.

“Why are you biting me!” he cries, trying and failing to glare at a very amused Taekwoon.

“Can he be scrawny and sexy at the same time?” Hongbin asks, jabbing at the flat planes of Wonshik’s abdomen with a devilish grin.

“He can if he shows a nipple,” Jaehwan pipes up.

“But just one,” Sanghyuk adds. “You gotta tease them. Leave ‘em all wanting more.”

“I give up,” Wonshik moans, slumping over. “I’ll never take my shirt off again. It’ll be turtlenecks until the end of time.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Hakyeon laughs, and finally he loosens his arms around Wonshik before ruffling his mussed-up hair. “You look good, you big dork. Almost as sexy as me.”

“Oh please,” Wonshik grumbles, wiggling until his head’s pillowed on Hongbin’s lap. The heat might’ve receded from his cheeks, but he can still feel the flush on his neck and the flustered emotions from seeing himself strip on stage.

“S’okay,” Sanghyuk says cheerfully, plopping his chin onto Wonshik’s tummy. “Next time, we’ll make Jaehwan show off his abs instead.”

“VIXX will fall,” Wonshik says without thinking, horror etched in his expression, and he’s really not that surprised when Jaehwan slaps his thigh with an indignant yell.

They are definitely going with turtlenecks next time.


	14. Ravi/Ken - Appreciation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Prompt where Ken shows Ravi his appreciation for his shirtless stage during the SBS Gayo Daejun when they get back to the dorm that night
> 
> 16/01/11
> 
> this may or may not follow the previous prompt… but that’s up to you to decide :3c

Wonshik doesn’t expect to get ambushed in the bathroom of all places, but it’s probably because it’s the only part of the dorm that has any semblance of seclusion when there’s six guys bumbling about, and even then they’ve had to really learn how to skate over privacy concerns when they’re running short on time.

But it’s nearing midnight now and the others are well on their way to falling asleep already, obviously taking advantage of the lack of late-night activities to get a few quality hours of sleep in. That’s when Jaehwan suddenly slips into the bathroom when Wonshik has just finished washing his face, silent as a breath of wind, and nudges the bathroom door shut behind him with a little grin on his face.

“Whoa, you scared me,” Wonshik complains, making a face at Jaehwan in the mirror. “I’m almost done man, give me a sec—”

Jaehwan takes a step forwards, slipping his arms around Wonshik’s waist, and Wonshik can feel the words faltering in his mouth.

“—ond. W-what are you doing?”

Jaehwan’s grin widens a little as he splays his hands over Wonshik’s stomach, his palms warm, and Wonshik’s throat contracts.

“Jaehwan,” he begins, and then he stops, because he’s not really sure what he wants to say. Fortunately, Jaehwan takes it upon himself to drum his fingers against Wonshik’s stomach, a soft  _tap-tap_  rhythm, before speaking.

“I can’t believe we finally got the green light to do a topless act,” Jaehwan says, dropping his chin onto Wonshik’s shoulder. He’s acting cute, even if his words and actions are starting to hint otherwise. “Now everybody got to see a shirtless Wonshikkie.”

“Yeah,” Wonshik says, fiddling with his towel. He folds and unfolds it a number of times, fidgeting as he tries to suss out where Jaehwan is going with this. “I’m pretty sure some fans liked it.”

“Oh, it was more than just ‘some fans’,” Jaehwan says, his mouth brushing against Wonshik’s ear. He shivers, knowing Jaehwan can feel it, and swallows hard. “Actually, I’m pretty sure it was more than just a ‘ _like_ ’ too.” He moves one of his hands across Wonshik’s abdomen and gathers a handful of the shirt in the other as he speaks, and Wonshik jolts when he feels Jaehwan’s pinky finger barely skimming along the elastic of his boxers.

“That’s good to hear,” Wonshik chokes out, reflexively grabbing Jaehwan’s wrist as he speaks. He can see Jaehwan grinning at him in the mirror, bright and playful with his teasing, and it just flusters him more. “Would’ve been a waste otherwise.”

“True,” Jaehwan concedes, turning his head so he could press a kiss to the side of Wonshik’s neck. His lips are warm, and it’s such a soft brush against his skin Wonshik wouldn’t have believed Jaehwan kissed him had he not seen it happen in the mirror. “But then, I would’ve still had your amazingly hot body all to myself.”

Wonshik can’t stop the snort of laughter that escapes him, and he doubles over, trying to stifle his laugh. He feels Jaehwan’s little burst of giggles too before the other is pressing his face into Wonshik’s back, muffling his voice in Wonshik’s shirt. The tense spell is broken, but Wonshik didn’t really have a preference over the tension or the lighthearted goofiness they shared.

“Dude, your seduction techniques suck,” Wonshik snickers, and it earns him a whack to the side.

“I’d like to see you do better,” Jaehwan snarks back. He moves his hands back until his palms are resting against Wonshik’s waist. Jaehwan’s touch is warm, and it makes Wonshik’s heart flutter ridiculously. He blushes and straightens up, looking away.

“C’mon,” Jaehwan says softly, giving his sides a light squeeze. “Let’s rest up soon. You can’t maintain your abs if you’re too tired to work out.”

“Don’t wanna hear that coming from the guy who only goes to the gym like, once a month,” Wonshik grins. He figures he probably deserves the pinch that follows, but the kiss— well, that’s a heartwarming little bonus only Jaehwan can decide to give.


	15. Hyuk/Ken - Provocative

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hyuk fucking Ken's brains out please? Like Ken wants Hyuk to be rougher with him
> 
> 16/01/11
> 
> *nsfw

“Harder,” Jaehwan gasps, even though his voice is already choked up with the intensity of it, his fingers have a death grip on the cushions in front of him, and Sanghyuk is practically flattening him against the sofa, broader shoulders and heavier body pinning him down. “Harder, Sanghyuk, I said to go  _harder_.”

“You are the most demanding guy I’ve ever fucked in my life, I’ll have you know,” Sanghyuk pants, mouthing at Jaehwan’s shoulder. Jaehwan huffs indignantly.

“Oi, I don’t talk about all the previous dudes I’ve had sex with when I’m banging you,” he complains. What had started out as a simple movie date after work had morphed into a full-blown makeout session when the film proved too boring and the two of them proved too horny, but it wasn’t enough, not for Jaehwan, anyway. He grits his teeth and clutches at Sanghyuk’s back.

“You don’t see me mentioning my university flings, or the guy I had my first serious relationship with, or— or the cute guys from the bars I used to go to on my free evenings—”

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk growls, his voice low with warning, and Jaehwan flashes his boyfriend a grin, sharp and provocative.

“Don’t be insecure,” he breathes, touching Sanghyuk’s face with his hand. Sanghyuk’s eyes narrow, and Jaehwan goes in for the kill. “You’re fucking me pretty well, actually, for a relatively vanilla guy.”

Sanghyuk’s hips stutter for a moment, eyes widening slightly, and for a second Jaehwan feels a sliver of worry, uncertain if he’d actually upset his boyfriend. But then Sanghyuk’s eyes flash and he bites down, hard, on Jaehwan’s neck, and Jaehwan chokes, accidentally scraping his nails down Sanghyuk’s back at the sensation.

“You’re an asshole,” Sanghyuk snaps, trusting forwards, and he keeps on pressing forwards while Jaehwan gasps and whines, legs locking desperately around Sanghyuk’s waist. “Do you want them instead of me? Would you rather it was them fucking you right now?”

“No, no,” Jaehwan moans, squeezing his eyes closed when Sanghyuk picks up the pace again. He’s moving faster, with an intensive amount of focused energy.

“Who do you want then?” Sanghyuk challenges. He grabs Jaehwan’s wrists, holding them down, and Jaehwan’s heart skips a beat.

“You,” he cries. “Want you, I want you, Sanghyuk, just you—” his words are cut off when Sanghyuk kisses him, open-mouthed, and Jaehwan’s gasps of Sanghyuk’s name are cut off and muffled each time Sanghyuk presses his mouth against his.

It feels like a fucking blessing.

+

Sanghyuk pulls him into his bedroom and gently tugs Jaehwan under the covers later on, curling around him like a large, bulky space heater. Jaehwan snuggles close, blissed out and limp, and chuckles.

“You’re an animal, Hyukkie.”

“Shut up,” Sanghyuk groans, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. There’s a pause, and then he says, “Hey, I’m sorry about bringing anybody else up. I didn’t think… I didn’t know if you were really upset by it or not.”

That surprises Jaehwan, and he lets out a little puff of laughter. “Don’t worry, I’m not,” he chuckles. “I didn’t mean to egg you on so much either, even though you’re quite commanding in your own right.”

Sanghyuk rolls his eyes, but the tips of his ears are endearingly red, and Jaehwan has to stifle another laugh behind his palm. It’s a cute look on his younger boyfriend, and Jaehwan loves cute things as much as he loves rougher sex.

He’ll find another way to tease Sanghyuk about this later on.


	16. Ravi/Ken - Instantaneous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Jaehwan is at a fancy business meeting/gathering and sees that his scummy ex is approaching him. Of course Jaehwan decides to grab the guy next to him (who happens to be big time producer Ravi) and proceeds to kiss him.
> 
> 16/01/11

In rather stereotypical, Lee-Jaehwan’s-daily-life kind of plot twist, he spies the thieving, cheating, anime-hating douche that he’s bestowed the title of _ex-boyfriend_  on walking across the banquet hall towards him.

He’s honestly quite impressed with his quick thinking, because Jaehwan knows he’s more of a ‘act now ask questions later’ kind of guy when put under pressure. Everything seems to slow down like those unnecessary slo-mo shots in action movies— he reminds himself that he is attending a very upscale gala tonight, he’s wearing a tuxedo that costs a fortune to dry clean, and that he’s surrounded by very famous and very rich people that he can’t afford to make a scene in front of.

But his ex is also fast approaching the quiet corner he’s standing in, and Jaehwan hates that dumb look on the guy’s face, like he should be pitied for the ruthless way Jaehwan dumped his ass. Or the way he probably expects that Jaehwan might even consider getting back together with him. Because, well, that was a thing that the guy’s been trying to convince Jaehwan to do during every waking moment these past four months anyway.

What should he do? _What should he do?_

He takes a step back and bumps his elbow against another attendee, and Jaehwan’s about to stammer out an apology when an idea (a very terrible, ridiculous, positively preposterous idea) pops into his head. He seizes the man’s arm and pulls him closer. The stranger’s eyes widen, and he opens his mouth to speak, but Jaehwan doesn’t give him a chance to do so, because his ex is less than ten feet away from him and it’s now or never.

He pastes the biggest smile onto his face, stands on tip toe, and kisses the stranger full on the mouth.

Time, strangely enough, seems to have stopped entirely now. All Jaehwan can really focus on is the way his ex has skidded to an ungraceful halt three tables away, how Jaehwan’s hands are placed on the stranger’s sloping shoulders, and how the stranger’s lips are parted slightly against his, probably in shock.

His heart jackhammers in his chest as he pulls back, trying not to make eye contact, and frantically whispers, “Please, wait, my horrible ex is right there, he’s trying to talk to me again, I’m sorry, please—”

Now it’s Jaehwan’s turn to get cut off when the stranger suddenly surges forwards and kisses him back, mouth no longer frozen against his, but moving against Jaehwan’s lips in a smooth kiss. He feels a hand rest on his hip as the stranger tilts his head to the side and gives his lip a quick bite before drawing back, a surprisingly convincing smile on his face. It’s only when he recognizes a young, handsome, and horribly familiar face that Jaehwan sees who the poor guy he’s nabbed is: Kim Wonshik, arguably one of the biggest and hottest producers currently presiding in the music industry.

No wonder his ex looks like he’s been sucker punched across the face.

“Walk with me,” Kim Wonshik whispers in reply, grasping Jaehwan’s hand in his own, and he leads a stiff-legged Jaehwan away from the party. They walk and walk until Wonshik finds an empty hallway, and that’s where they halt.

If Jaehwan’s nerves had been frazzled before, he’s positively sure he’s going to pass out when Wonshik turns to face him.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurts out. “That was way out of line, I didn’t even think, I panicked and I couldn’t think of any way to shake him off, I wasn’t prepared to see the guy here tonight—”

“Whoa, easy,” Wonshik says in alarm, holding up his hand. Jaehwan falls silent, gnawing on his lip. “I’m not angry,” Wonshik continues, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I’m startled— well, really shocked, more like, but you really looked like you needed an out. I didn’t mind lending a hand.”

“Let me make it up to you,” Jaehwan says, wringing his hands. A voice that sounds suspiciously like a fretting Hongbin is yelling at him inside his head, telling him not to screw it up now. “I don’t think anybody other than him saw us, but if my ex says anything—”

“I’m sure I’ll have my ways of silencing unnecessary rumors,” Wonshik chuckles, and Jaehwan tries not to wonder what a multi-million dollar producer with the majority of the entertainment industry in his pocket could do. “Besides, I really hate guys that just don’t know when to quit. My sister had awful suitors too, I really had to scare all of those assholes off.”

“Ah,” Jaehwan mumbles, looking down. “I’m still sorry,” he says quietly.

“Geez,” Wonshik exhales, and Jaehwan can see him crossing his arms. “You’re a prickly one, aren’t you? What’s your name?”

“L-Lee. Lee Jaehwan.”

“Nice to meet you, Jaehwan,” Wonshik grins, extending his hand for a shake. “I’m Kim Wonshik.”

“I know who you are,” Jaehwan sighs, mortified, but to his surprise, Wonshik’s face lights up with delight.

“Do you really? I lied, by the way,” Wonshik admits, scratching his neck bashfully. “I kind of know who you are too. But I didn’t think a jazz singer of your caliber would have cared about mainstream pop music enough to know about me.”

“Are you kidding?” Jaehwan exclaims. “Who hasn’t heard of you?”

Wonshik laughs. “I could say the same for you,” he fires back, grinning. “It’s great to make your acquaintance, world-famous singer Jaehwan. You don’t mind if I address you informally, do you?” Wonshik added, giving him a hopeful look. “I’m a fan of yours, honestly.”

Jaehwan spluttered, barely managing to compose himself. _Kim Wonshik_ , admitting to being his _fan_. He could hardly believe it.

“I think we’re beyond formalities now,” Jaehwan says, thinking back to the kiss, and judging from the quirk of Wonshik’s lips, he knew the other man was thinking along the same lines as well. It thrilled him.

Jaehwan couldn’t wait to see where this little change meeting between them would go.


	17. Hyuk/Ken - Intensity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I know u literally JUST wrote nsfw hyuken so like you can come back to this whenever you want but could you write ken teasing hyuk until he's literally sobbing and begging? Also u can totally ignore this if u feel, thanks for the consideration!
> 
> 16/01/11
> 
> *nsfw

Jaehwan is grinning.

Sanghyuk, as it stands, is not.

In fact, they’ve been doing a lot of literal standing at the moment, crowded next to each other on the train as they’re headed home. Sanghyuk’s not sure if interning at the same business as his boyfriend could be considered a good thing— sure, they certainly get to spend a lot of time together, but Jaehwan also relies on Sanghyuk to wake him up and bugs him to go on coffee runs all the time.

And then there’s moments like these, when Jaehwan is being the worst shit in the world and is dead set on tormenting Sanghyuk.

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk says quietly, warning in his tone when Jaehwan leans forwards, his body a lean line against Snaghyuk’s.

“What?” Jaehwan asks, batting his eyelashes up at him, an epitome of innocence. A lesser man would’ve been fooled, but Sanghyuk is above the weakness of mortals. It takes that much to deal with someone as sly and mischievous as Jaehwan.

“Don’t push it,” Sanghyuk grumbles, and flinches slightly when Jaehwan’s hands trip down to the front of his slacks, fingertips just barely brushing against the thin fabric. “ _Jaehwan_.”

“I texted Wonshik and Hongbin,” Jaehwan murmurs. “Told them we needed some alone time. They’re heading out for dinner, so we’ve got the apartment to ourselves.”

“Oh my god, you—” Sanghyuk closes his eyes. “Jaehwan, you’re shameless.”

“You love me for it,” Jaehwan singsongs, and Sanghyuk doesn’t deign to reply when the train pulls up to their stop. Jaehwan’s hand closes around his as they spill out onto the platform, following the wave of people up the stairs. He hates the way heat rises in his cheeks at the simple skinship, but Jaehwan has been _insufferable_  all day; from leaving him hanging after an intense makeout session in the morning to the unnecessary physical contact made whenever Jaehwan squeezed by him between the desks, taking care to shoot Sanghyuk heated grins and make low, borderline _erotic_ sighs.

Jaehwan will be the death of him, he swears it.

The apartment is empty when they stumbled in, and Sanghyuk makes a mental note to buy his roommates a decent lunch before he’s sufficiently distracted by Jaehwan kissing him. His lets his bag drop onto the floor and allows Jaehwan to strip him of his blazer before backing him up onto their shared bed. The springs creak under Sanghyuk’s weight as he falls onto it. Jaehwan crawls up after him, actions fluid, and settles himself right across Sanghyuk’s thighs. Sanghyuk exhales shakily and slumps against the wall.

“You look tense,” Jaehwan notes, taking Sanghyuk’s left hand. He raises Sanghyuk’s arm and slowly undoes the buttons at the cuff, folding up the sleeves of Sanghyuk’s simple white shirt until his forearm is exposed. Sanghyuk stays quiet, watching Jaehwan work. He shivers when Jaehwan presses a quick kiss into the crook of his elbow before cursing himself for reacting to such a simple action, especially when Jaehwan’s smile widens as he folds up Sanghyuk’s other sleeve. He gets another kiss, and then, without warning, Jaehwan grinds down. Sanghyuk chokes on his breath and bucks upwards.

“Easy,” Jaehwan laughs, dropping his weight down onto Sanghyuk again. “Don’t be so hasty now.”

“You’re killing me here,” Sanghyuk mutters, feeling his cheeks heat up as Jaehwan takes his hands and pushes them up, high above his head, and presses his wrists against the wall.

“Don’t lower your arms till I say so, ‘kay?” Jaehwan says, and Sanghyuk sighs. It’s gonna be this kind of a game tonight, then.

“Right,” he mumbles, and he’s rewarded with a proper kiss this time. Jaehwan’s in a constant state of motion right now; his lips are moving against Sanghyuk’s, his tongue licking into Sanghyuk’s with a surprising gentleness, and his fingers are busy loosening the tie and undoing the top few buttons of Sanghyuk’s shirt.

And his hips, of course, never stop grinding.

He’s starting to loose feeling in his arms, and Sanghyuk prays Jaehwan won’t make him wait too long. His heart stutters when Jaehwan finally undoes his belt and unzips his pants, palming him lightly with one hand and drifts feather-light touches across Sanghyuk’s abdomen with the other. The sensation is there, but at the same time, it’s also not. He knows Jaehwan left his clothes on for a reason, and he groans weakly.

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk pleads, turning his head to break the kiss. Jaehwan straightens up, but his hips don’t stop, the motions of his hands don’t cease, and Sanghyuk’s own arms are starting to go numb. He inhales sharply, trying to regain his metaphorical footing, but Jaehwan is speeding up and Sanghyuk’s been on edge for the whole _day_  now, tantalized by his boyfriend but unable to touch. The weird angle he’s sitting in and the ache of holding up his arms for so long makes him burn.

“Jaehwan, _please_ ,” Sanghyuk sobs, writhing, and that’s when Jaehwan reaches up and shoves his arms down onto the bed.

Pins and needles explode under his skin and Sanghyuk has to bite off the short scream that escapes him. His head thuds against the wall and he feels tears pool in his eyes as blood rushes back into his arms, giving them feeling, but also driving him insane. And _still_ , Jaehwan is taking his sweet time. His eyes don’t leave Sanghyuk’s face, and there’s a strange kind of focus on his face. It makes Jaehwan look mesmerizing.

“Please,” Sanghyuk begs, trying not to twitch his fingers. “Please, please, Jaehwan, stop making me _wait_ , you’ve teased me the whole day, _please_ , Jaehwan—”

Jaehwan’s hands grasps Sanghyuk’s own and he flinches, but the feeling had already returned to his fingertips. Jaehwan smiles down at him, warmth etched in every line on his face, and plants Sanghyuk’s hands firmly on his hips.

“Make us come,” he breathes, kissing Sanghyuk softly, and Sanghyuk closes his eyes. A tear slips down his cheek as he thrusts upwards and pulls Jaehwan down, and finally, Jaehwan is losing his composure. He’s clinging to Sanghyuk and panting and kissing him frantically, murmuring _I love you’s_  and _my one and only_  until they’re both sobbing their way through their orgasms and collapsing sideways onto the bed afterwards.

“Are you okay?” Jaehwan asks a moment later, breathless. Sanghyuk hums and curls an arm around Jaehwan’s waist, head floating somewhere up in the clouds.

“Really okay,” he replies, and smiles when he feels Jaehwan wipe away the dampness in his eyes. “I’m very, very okay.”


	18. N/Hyuk - Tango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Chasang- hakyeon really wants sanghyuk to be his tango partner
> 
> 16/01/14

“LUNCH!” Hakyeon bellows the minute he elbows his way firmly through the entranceway of the dorm, two large shopping bags laden with Chinese takeout in each hand. “Come and get it or you’re gonna lose it!” he adds, a little unnecessarily, because his boys are probably more responsive to the arrival of food then the mandatory morning fire drills that take place once a month in their building.

It doesn’t take long for all of them to settle in the den, trying not to step on one another as they maneuver themselves around one another. Hakyeon claims the single beanbag chair with a satisfied smile and leaves the others to figure out which of the styrofoam boxes contained their order.

“Hey! The chicken one was mine!”

“Who ordered soup again?”

“Pass me a soy sauce packet, there’s gotta be one in the bag.”

“Hey, Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk calls above the din, his voice dry and his tone sardonic. “Was it Minhyuk’s shift at the restaurant today?”

“Yes it was,” Hakyeon says sweetly, inhaling the delicious scent of roast duck in his noodles. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason,” Sanghyuk deadpans as he spins his box around, showing off his order of yangzhou fried rice and the message _PLEASE BE MY TANGO PARTNER_  written across it in hot sauce. Wonshik snorts loudly, spraying a bit of rice onto Taekwoon, but Hakyeon’s not paying attention. He’d taken care not to jostle Sanghyuk’s meal in particular, and he was glad that the sauce hadn’t run too much.

“Oh my god, Hakyeon,” Jaehwan says, shaking his head in amusement. “You are _so_  desperate.”

“Not desperate,” Hakyeon retorts. “Just trying to put the message across.”

“Yeah, as if the barrage of sticky notes wasn’t bad enough,” Hongbin snickers.

“Be quiet,” Hakyeon says, jabbing his chopsticks in his roommates’ direction. To Sanghyuk, he turns and bats his eyelashes, giving the youngest the most innocent smile he could muster. “Well? What do you say, Sanghyuk?”

Sanghyuk’s response is to roll his eyes, jab his chopsticks into his rice, and mix the words all up. Hakyeon whines, pouting at the obvious rejection.

“Stop bothering Minhyuk with dumb requests at work, Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk sighs, shovelling a bite into his mouth.

“You’re being difficult,” Hakyeon grumbles, turning to his own meal. He finishes quicker than the others and goes to dispose of his garbage before deciding to head out, maybe to the studio or the library to finish some homework. God knows how noisy the flat gets when all six of them are home.

“You’re headed out already?” Sanghyuk asks, surprise evident on his face when Hakyeon walks by, shrugging his jacket on as he does.

“Yeah, figured I’d do some work done before the weekend slump hits,” he replies, jamming his keys into his pocket.

“Oh,” Sanghyuk says, watching him, expression oddly neutral. “Why don’t you just work here?”

Hakyeon snorts, and shoulders his bag. “As if I’d get any work done with you lot,” he says, and waves off the fortune cookie Taekwoon holds out to him. “See you guys later!” he calls, trudging back to the doorway, and gets a few distracted responses in reply before he’s out.

+

It’s not that he _couldn’t_  find another partner; it’s just that Hakyeon really, really, _really_  wants to dance with Sanghyuk.

They’re in a mixed class of senior dancers, but Sanghyuk was one of the few special cases they’d make exceptions for each year. Hakyeon could barely believe his eyes when he watched Sanghyuk dance for the first time. There’s power and charisma in the way Sanghyuk moves, and it’s absolutely captivating.

And then there’s also that little thing they’re skating around each other about, the one that makes Taekwoon roll his eyes when they’re eyeing each other up too obviously and garners Hongbin’s threats of splashing water on them when they’re up in each other’s personal space. Neither of them have spoken openly about it (from the way Hakyeon favours Sanghyuk above all others to the way Sanghyuk shamelessly seeks out Hakyeon’s approval), and by this point it’s the biggest not-secret of their whole apartment.

That’s what prompts Hakyeon to wonder if he’s pushing Sanghyuk a bit too much with this whole dance project thing, if he’s making it seem like too much of a joke. But the idea of confronting it, of admitting his feelings and putting himself out there, he can’t bring himself to do it yet, not when Sanghyuk is his roommate and friend and junior, and not when Hakyeon knows he can’t bear to have things go south between the two of them.

He’s so immersed in the _what ifs_  that he nearly doesn’t catch the door to the practice room opening.

“It’s occupied,” Hakyeon jokes reflexively when Sanghyuk walks in, toeing his sneakers off with an exasperated glare on his face. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s the older and younger here. Hakyeon grins and tugs his headphones out of his ears.

“How’d you find me?”

“Where else would you go?” Sanghyuk fires back, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his sweats. “You live and breathe dance. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were actually birthed in a dance studio.”

“Shut up,” Hakyeon retorts, smacking Sanghyuk’s arm playfully. He feels the flex of solid muscle beneath the well-worn fabric of the school sweater, and quickly lowers his arm. He’s aware of Sanghyuk watching him, eyes searching.

“Are you mad at me?” Sanghyuk asks suddenly, blunt, and that’s not something Hakyeon expects to hear at all.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Hakyeon repeats, dumbfounded.

Sanghyuk shifts, uncomfortable. “During lunch,” he says, gaze level with Hakeyon’s chin. “I just— maybe mixing up your message in the rice was a bit disrespectful.” He swallows, and Hakyeon’s jaw drops. “I mean, I was just trying to joke, but maybe it came out a little too— harsh? I didn’t mean—”

“Whoa,” Hakyeon interrupts, holding a hand up. “What the heck are you going on about? I’m not mad at you messing up the rice. I was only playing with you too.”

“Y-yeah?” Sanghyuk asks, but his expression shutters at that, and Hakyeon feels like swallowing his own tongue.

“Not the request for you to dance with me!” he blurts out. “Just— the way I tried to ask you. I did tell Minhyuk to write it in your food for you, and he made me tip extra, the jerk.” Sanghyuk snorts, unable to stop himself, and Hakyeon releases a breath.

“I’m not playing around when I’m asking you to dance with me,” he continues. “I’m serious about that, I swear”

“But why me?” Sanghyuk asks. He plays with the sleeves of his sweater and bites his lower lip, the hesitance palpable. “You’re a senior dance student, you should pick someone from your year. Someone who’s on the same level.”

“Hey now,” Hakyeon says, frowning. “Are you telling me you don’t trust in my judgment in a partner?”

“No—”

“I think,” Hakyeon hums, taking a step forwards. Sanghyuk lowers his head, gazing down at Hakyeon from his height. “That you’re the best choice.” His physique screams strength, and while Hakyeon’s own figure is nothing to sneeze at, he knows Sanghyuk is strong. He trusts that strength. “I want to dance with you. That’s all the reason there is to it.”

“Ah,” Sanghyuk replies, at loss for words. Hakyeon’s standing close now, close enough for him to see the roots starting to show in Sanghyuk’s dyed hair.

“Do you not want to dance with me?” Hakyeon asks quietly. He suddenly feels unsettled. “If you don’t want to, really don’t want to, I won’t push you. Don’t feel obliged to agree—”

“No! No,” Sanghyuk cries, and then drags his hand over his face, exhaling raggedly. “This is gonna be dumb,” he groans. At Hakyeon’s confused, inquisitive sound, Sanghyuk shifts nervously.

“You’re not gonna cross dress for this, are you?” he says in a rush, and Hakyeon’s eyebrow shoot up to his hairline. “Not that there’s anything wrong with crossdressing!” Sanghyuk all but yells, and wow, Hakyeon had no idea he could turn so red. “I just heard you talking to Eunkwang about it, and, I, if you actually put a dress on, I’m just, I’ll—”

“Would you like to see that?” Hakyeon asks, grinning, and Sanghyuk’s face is practically on fire by now.

“It doesn’t matter…” he mumbles weakly, and Hakyeon’s grin widens. He leans up on his tiptoes, swaying forwards as he balances himself, and Sanghyuk’s hands immediately land on Hakyeon’s waist, holding him still. Hakyeon wills himself not to blush as well, even though the warmth of Sanghyuk’s hands anchoring him makes his heart pound.

“Do you think I’d look good wearing a dress, dancing with you?” Hakyeon teases. He pats Sanghyuk’s cheek fondly, and the other scoffs half-heartedly. “It’s alright, Hyukkie, I was only kidding with Eunkwang. We’ll save the crossdressing for the Halloween parties.”

“God, no,” Sanghyuk mumbles, but his hands are steadier on Hakyeon’s waist now. Hakyeon lowers himself back onto the soles of his feet and delicately places his hands on Sanghyuk’s shoulders, an echo of the position they’d have to take up for their dance. He dares to lean forwards, their foreheads touching. Sanghyuk’s eyelashes flutter briefly before he shifts his gaze into Hakyeon’s, waiting.

“Will you dance the tango with me?” Hakyeon repeats, the question an echo of nearly two weeks of messages stuck on Sanghyuk’s notebooks, written on the mirror in steam, and spelled out in a miraculous feat during their Thursday night Scrabble games.

“Yeah,” Sanghyuk replies, and he pulls Hakyeon just a little bit closer, a smile spreading on his face. “I will.”


	19. OT6 (N centric) - You Are Our Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hello! a request for n-centric fic? preferably blondecha and the vixx members telling him how gorgeous he is and so much angstfluff pretty pretty please!!
> 
> 16/01/15

Hakyeon jolted awake sometime that evening, momentarily disoriented. He sits up and rubs his cheek, feeling crease marks from the pillow he’d shoved under his face… hours earlier? It certainly wasn’t dark out when he fell asleep, and there certainly hadn’t been anybody home. He yawns, reaching up to scratch at his scalp, and then had to physically stop himself lest he ruin his freshly dyed hair.

There’s footsteps coming down the hall, and when he looks up, he sees Hongbin weaving around discarded bags and laundry baskets over to him.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Hongbin jokes, crouching down in front of Hakyeon. He rests a warm hand on Hakyeon’s knee and grins up at the elder’s attempts to gather himself.

“How long was I out for?” Hakyeon asks, and Hongbin tilts his head, thinking.

“Probably a few hours. You were already asleep when the rest of us started coming home.”

“Ah,” Hakyeon mumbles, rotating his shoulders a bit. “Sorry.”

Hongbin scoffs, but the sound is soft. “What’s there to be sorry about?” he asks, giving Hakyeon’s knee a squeeze. “I don’t think I’ve seen you sleep so soundly since our last vacation a few months back. It’s good that you managed to rest. Besides, Taekwoon and Sanghyuk are cooking tonight, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Oh god,” Hakyeon splutters, and Hongbin laughs at his expression.

“Your hair looks good, by the way,” Hongbin adds as Wonshik wanders in too. Hakyeon, momentarily distracted by their rapper’s arrival, startles when Hongbin leans over to press a kiss to his temple.

“Ah,” Hakyeon flusters, feeling the colour rise in his cheeks. Hongbin grins handsomely down at him as Wonshik falls over onto the couch. He slumps against Hakyeon, curling around him like a particularly cuddly dog, and nuzzles into Hakyeon’s neck.

“They used a nice hairspray,” Wonshik says, lips brushing against Hakyeon’s jaw, and it leaves behind a warm sensation. “The colour turned out well.”

“You think so?” Hakyeon asks, perking up. Wonshik, who’s notorious for trying out all kinds of colours and getting picky about how it looks or how long the dyeing process is, _likes_ his hair. He beams, and Hongbin huffs.

“Oh, so you take Wonshik’s words for it?” he complains, and Hakeyon laughs.

“No, Binnie, I’m glad you like my hair colour too.”

Hongbin pretends to turn his nose up, but then there’s a clamour of noise as Jaehwan, Taekwoon and Sanghyuk bustle in, carrying their dinner. Someone flicks the light on, and Hakyeon shuts his eyes, unused to the sudden blaze of light.

“Whoa, you really did dye it all blond!” Jaehwan exclaims in delight. He bounces over and hip checks Hongbin onto the couch so he could cup Hakyeon’s face and coo at his hair colour. “Sunshine leader, you’re our sunshine leader~”

“You should’ve gone for the platinum white,” Sanghyuk teases, lifting the thin strands of Hakyeon’s bleached-out hair to make antennas. “Then we would’ve matched.”

Hakyeon’s eyebrows arch up, but his heart swells at Sanghyuk’s comment. Their youngest doesn’t often suggest things like that— matching with his ancient leader! He closes his eyes when he feels Sanghyuk massage his scalp, a light press of his fingertips against the tender skin, and it soothes the residual ache the chemicals left behind.

“Come and eat,” Taekwoon’s voice cuts in through their conversation, and Hakyeon feels his friend’s long fingers grasp his hand, giving it a little tug. “You’re hungry, Hakyeon.”

He is hungry— but that’s when Hakyeon realizes that it’s not food he’s starved of. It’s the company of his friends that he misses so dearly in their hectic schedules, with Hongbin and Sanghyuk out filming all the time, Taekwoon and Wonshik huddled in the studio and Jaehwan in the theatre. He misses the dumb conversations they’d have and the quieter conversations about their fears when they’re about to fall asleep, bickering over petty things like which side to mount the toilet roll on or laughing until tears streamed down their faces at slapstick comedy on television. He swallows, and Taekwoon falters.

“Hakyeon,” he says softly, and arms are automatically winding around him: Wonshik and Hongbin on either side of him, Jaehwan leaning forwards to hug him around the middle, and Sanghyuk sitting down and dropping his chin onto Hakyeon’s thigh, threading their fingers together. Hakeyon’s eyes are closed before the tears come, and he exhales shakily. Normally he’d cover his face but Taekwoon and Sanghyuk have his hands, so he just lets the droplets fall down his face.

“Sorry,” he chokes out. “Sorry, I’m just— I just missed you guys so much.”

Fingers brush over his cheeks, wiping his tears away, and he hears Wonshik make a sad, distressed noise beside him.

“We know, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon tells him. It’s a simple answer, but the implication behind it was strong nonetheless— _we missed you too_. Hakyeon opens his eyes and tries for a wobbly smile. He feels Hongbin’s forehead resting against his shoulder and sees the top of Jaehwan’s head from where the singer’s pressed his face against Hakyeon’s stomach. Sanghyuk is watching him, eyes glistening brightly, and then Taekwoon slides his fingers through Hakyeon’s hair, comforting him. He chuckles wetly.

“Ah, I’m ugly when I cry,” he jokes, trying to lighten the mood. It feels like he’s just gotten rid of a weight he didn’t know he had before. Taekwoon hushes him as he trails his fingers downward, cupping Hakyeon’s chin with the lightest of touches.

“You’re gorgeous, Hakyeon,” Wonshik says quietly from beside him, and he can feel Jaehwan nodding fervently against his middle. “Don’t you dare say otherwise.”

He trembles in their hold, and fights not to let the tears fall again. Our s _unshine leader_ , Jaehwan had said.

He knows he’ll shine brightest when he’s with his boys.


	20. Ravi/Ken - Don't You Know It's You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Fluffy Raken fic where they grew up together and always act super coupley. Everybody in their university thinks that they're together but raken are just super oblivious until somebody decides to make a move on one of them and the other gets jealous
> 
> 16/01/15

Miraculously, it’s _not_  Taekwoon who loses to rock-paper-scissors this time around, and Jaehwan is already entertaining the real possibility of that self-satisfied smirk never leaving Taekwoon’s face. Meanwhile, Wonshik is whining like a temperamental child next to him, arms slung around Jaehwan’s shoulders.

“I don’t wanna go,” Wonshik says, scrunching up his face. He’s been making the same insufferably cute faces to get himself out of work since he was small, and Jaehwan has to resist a snort. “Please, Jaehwanie, I don’t wanna do the coffee run in this weather.”

“I’ll help bundle you all up,” Jaehwan teases, smooshing Wonshik’s cheeks together, and Wonshik’s whine begins to reach dangerous pitches.

“Oh, c’mon, Wonshik, it’s literally just a walk to the coffee shop down the street!” Hakyeon says in exasperation. “And you lost, fair and square. Rules are rules.”

“But it’s cold,” Wonshik grumbles. “Like, really cold. I don’t wanna move.”

“You’re such a baby,” Jaehwan chortles. He untangles Wonshik’s arms from his shoulders and makes his friend sit upright. He zips Wonshik’s coat up in a flash, jams the beanie onto his head and then tosses his own scarf around Wonshik’s neck, twirling it until only Wonshik’s eyes could be seen. Hongbin bursts into laughter, and Wonshik throws him the stink-eye.

“There, nice and warm,” Jaehwan says in satisfaction. He takes the list of coffees and snacks they wanted to get from Sanghyuk and stuffs it into Wonshik’s pocket. Then he kisses his fingertips, smackingly loud, and pats it onto Wonshik’s cheek. “Hurry back! We need to start studying soon!”

“I hate you guys,” Wonshik grumbles, but he gets up all the same. “Except for Jaehwan. He gives me kisses before I go brave the cold.”

“I don’t think anyone but Jaehwan would want to kiss you, man,” Sanghyuk jokes. Wonshik rolls his eyes at that and Hakyeon’s waggling eyebrows before he waddles out of the student lounge, looking like a puffy marshmallow.

“You’d think he’d finally manage to zip up his own coat after experiencing twenty-three years of life,” Hakyeon says dryly. He gives Jaehwan a pointed look, and Jaehwan grins.

“Hey, what can I say? He’s my favourite little bro. I can’t let him walk out and freeze by himself.”

“Are you sure he’s just your favourite ‘little bro’?” Hongbin smirks, and Sanghyuk kicks him not-so subtly under the table. They’re both grinning like they know some secret, though Jaehwan couldn’t fathom why.

“ _You’re_ definitely not a favourite, not after the Welcome Back Pub Night Incident last year,” Jaehwan snarks back, jabbing his pencil at Hongbin. They fall into an easy banter, unwilling to start their homework until their drinks return, but Jaehwan looks up to see if Wonshik’s back yet, he’s startled to see his childhood friend standing in the doorway of the lounge. He’s got their coffees and snacks balanced in both hands, but he’s speaking to a girl Jaehwan recognizes from one of Wonshik’s classes— mainly because he’s seen her talk to Wonshik before. Several times, in fact.

He stands before he can stop himself.

“Jaehwan?” Hakyeon asks, but Taekwoon nudges him with his elbow, his line of sight on Wonshik too. Jaehwan stumbles out of his seat and crosses the lounge as quickly as his legs will let him. He’s not sure why he’s suddenly so rushed, but then he sees the girl smile at Wonshik, and Wonshik smiling back as she uncaps a pen and scribbles something onto the sleeves of one of the cups. That’s when he nearly breaks out into a run, barely managing not to skid in front of the two.

“You’re back,” Jaehwan says quickly, lifting the trays off Wonshik’s hands. “C’mon, we gotta study.”

“Right, right,” Wonshik laughs, patting Jaehwan’s cheek with a cold hand. Normally he’d squirm away, shrieking, but Jaehwan just smiles back, basking in the attention. Wonshik bids goodbye to the girl, and as they’re walking back to their table, Jaehwan checks the sleeve.

Yup, there’s a number there.

He doesn’t even realize he’s clenching his jaw until Wonshik’s distributing drinks. Then, Hakyeon says, “Hey, Wonshik, the girl talking to you over there was kinda cute, wasn’t she?”, and Jaehwan swears he might accidentally crush his cookie in his hands.

“Hm?” Wonshik blinks. “Oh. She’s nice. She chats with me sometimes in class.”

“But do you think she’s cute?” Hongbin presses, a shit eating grin on both his and Sanghyuk’s faces, and Jaehwan wonders if he could crush _them_.

“No way,” he interrupts loudly. “I’m the only cute one! I’m the cutest!”

Taekwoon chokes on his gulp of mocha and Wonshik laughs, automatically touching Jaehwan’s neck, his expression sweetly fond.

“Yeah, yeah, nobody’s cuter than you, Jaehwanie.”

Jaehwan beams, wiggling in his seat as he savours Wonshik’s compliments. “Exactly,” he says, satisfied.

Across the table, Hakyeon shakes his head and subtly slides Wonshik’s cup over. He slips the sleeve off and sticks it under the tray. When Taekwoon raises his eyebrow, and Hakyeon gives him a knowing look.

“I have the feeling Wonshik won’t be needing that number anytime soon,” he says under his breath, watching the way Wonshik’s feeding Jaehwan pieces of his brownie now.

Taekwoon hums, amusement evident on his face.

“You’re probably right about that.”


	21. Hyuk/Hongbin - Unexpectedly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hyukbin! "Straight" best friends kiss for the first time in either truth or dare or spin the bottle. They enjoy it quite a bit more than expected
> 
> 16/01/15

He couldn’t believe his stupid luck.

Across the circle, Sanghyuk’s face had scrunched in absolute horror that mirrored his own when he watched the half-empty water bottle point towards Hongbin, its aim incriminating.

Why did he decide to play this dumb party game again?

“You can’t make me do this,” Hongbin complains for the umpteenth time. “We’re best friends. You can’t make us kiss, what the hell.”

“You seem to have a gross misunderstanding of the general rules of this game,” Jaehwan says dryly. Hongbin rolls his eyes.

“You can just admit you’re afraid to kiss Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon laughs. “We won’t laugh. Well, not now, but once the hangover stops tomorrow we definitely will—”

“I’m not afraid to kiss Sanghyuk!” Hongbin retorts. Sanghyuk covers his face with his hand and groans out loud.

“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” Wonshik grins, having far too much fun teasing the pair of them then should be allowed. “Or rather, Sanghyuk’s mouth where yours is—”

“Kim Wonshik, stay where you are, I’m coming over to get you,” Hongbin deadpans, trying to stand, but a sharp tug from Taekwoon sends him toppling back down.

“You guys are monsters,” Hongbin complains, crossing his arm. He’s ready to fight this to the ends of the earth, but then Sanghyuk clears his throat, gets on wobbly feet, and scuttles over to mutter in Hongbin’s ear.

“Uh, Hongbin, just so you know, I’m so broke right now I don’t even have thirty dollars to spare for the penalty,” Sanghyuk whispers, eyeing the small pile of cash sitting in Wonshik’s hat from when Jaehwan bailed out of kissing Sanghyuk and Taekwoon emptied his wallet without hesitation to get out of a kiss with a pouty Hakyeon.

Hongbin splutters. “Seriously? What did you even spend your money on?”

“That new Love Live figurine,” Sanghyuk answers shamelessly, and Hongbin has to pinch the bridge of his nose while the others roar with laughter.

“C’mon, just get it over with!” Jaehwan shouts, and Hongbin instinctively reaches for one of the shots Hakyeon had poured for them. He downs it, shakes off the afterburn, and faces Sanghyuk. His friend smoothes his bangs down a unnecessarily, but there’s a steely glint in his eye that Hongbin’s come to associate with Sanghyuk’s willingness to do anything to ration money. He soundly curses his friend’s addiction to 2D characters.

“Alright,” he grunts, leaning in awkwardly. This is nothing, he tells himself, but then immediately flushes when he and Sanghyuk accidentally tilt their head to the same side and nearly bonk foreheads.

“For fuck’s sake,” Hakyeon says, and he sounds pained for them. “You two are worse than middle schoolers.”

“Shut up,” Hongbin retorts, and gets a whack to the arm from Sanghyuk.

“Focus,” Sanghyuk hisses, and their noses bump this time. Their mouths are so close now, and they’re almost there— Sanghyuk makes a noise in his throat, and Hongbin sums up the liquid courage of all the drinks he’s had for the last four hours and surges forwards first, mashing their lips together.

He expects them to kiss quickly; lean in and lean out, fast and painless like yanking a bandaid off, but the liquor kicks in a little _too_  well, and Hongbin freezes on the spot, distracted by the feel of Sanghyuk’s lips on his.

Sanghyuk breathes out, his breath soft against Hongbin’s mouth, and then he parts his lips, moving his mouth lightly against Hongbin’s. Unwittingly, he responds to the kiss, flicking his tongue against Sanghyuk’s. He’s never actually known who Sanghyuk’s kissed before, even though Hongbin’s sure there was a stint between his friend and one of the swim team girls back when they were in high school. But he doesn’t expect Sanghyuk to kiss so well, or so smoothly. His actions compliment Hongbin’s; push and pull, give and receive. It’s so strange, but—

Hongbin breaks it off first, even though their faces linger way too close to each others’.

He _likes_  this.

A bit of a hush has fallen over the others, and distantly, he hears Wonshik wolf whistle and Jaehwan say, “Wow, Hyukkie _really_ doesn’t want to fork over that thirty.”

He swallows hard, and watches as Sanghyuk’s eyes dart down to his mouth and then back up at his eyes. His head buzzes, but there’s a very clear though in his mind right now: he really wants Sanghyuk’s mouth back on his.

And it seems like Sanghyuk’s got the same idea as well, because a second later they’re kissing frantically again and the others are screeching, yelling for them to get a room while the game is, quite effectively, derailed for the night.


	22. Ravi/Ken - Forgive Me For Staring (Forgive Me For Breathing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ravi is a famous songwriter in a slump when suddenly he finds his muse in the form of his new cute neighbor Jaehwan
> 
> 16/01/19

The handsome young man who’d introduced himself as Jaehwan to Wonshik by the mailbox was speaking, eyes sparkling and the edges of his mouth curled up in a happy smile, and Wonshik has literally no idea what he’s saying.

He’s completely fixated on the way the way the upswept, dyed brown strands of Jaehwan’s hair ruffles in the spring breeze, how soft that oversized white t-shirt looks hanging off narrow shoulders, and the rather small toes jammed into a pair of pink flip flops. Long, elegant fingers twirl a keyring around as he speaks, and if Wonshik had to define the emotions he’s feeling presently, he’s fairly certain this is what being completely and utterly smitten feels like.

“So, yeah, after my assistant manager made off with the head chef’s super secret recipe and nearly burnt the restaurant down in the process, we found the owner’s will in a tin cookie box stashed in the freezer and got a cut of the profit before they tore the whole place down. Perks of being vaguely related to the founder, I suppose.”

Jaehwan grins at Wonshik, who blinks back quickly, so caught up in staring that he’s managed to completely lose track of the conversation. But judging by the ending of that whole spiel, he’s not certain he could’ve kept up even if he had been paying attention.

“Wow,” Wonshik coughed, scratching the back of his head. “That sounds— wild.” He cringes at his own lame choice of words. “So after all that, you decided to move here?”

“Yup,” Jaehwan nods, fiddling with the corner of his letter. “I had a friend who grew up nearby, and during the summer we’d bike in the area often. I used to love looking at all the small houses lined up along the lane, bright and cute. I thought that maybe I could live happily here one day.”

_You’re the one who’s bright and cute_ , Wonshik thinks, and flushes when he catches himself. He hopes Jaehwan thinks the red in his face is coming from the heat of the mid-morning sun.

“What about you?” Jaehwan asks, tilting his head. He looks like an inquisitive little puppy, and Wonshik already wants to press kisses all over his face. “How’d you wind up living here?”

“I don’t often… stay here? I usually stay at an apartment and work downtown,” Wonshik says, fidgeting.

“Oooh, you’re loaded, aren’t you, owning a house _and_  an apartment,” Jaehwan teases, nudging him with his elbow, and Wonshik swears his stomach has just learned how to do flips.

“Hey, I earned all of my own money,” Wonshik protests, pretending to puff his chest up indignantly.

“What’s your occupation then?” Jaehwan asks, curious.

“I— I write songs. A lot of songs. But I’ve been in a slump as of late, so I figured I should try a change of environment… so here I am, back in the neighbourhood,” Wonshik answers. He’s nervous, unsure if he should elaborate if Jaehwan digs, but his new neighbour just nods with a look of marvel on his pretty face.

“That’s amazing! I used to compose a bit myself, but I haven’t had the time to do so since I graduated from high school. Maybe I should give it a spin again sometime.”

“You definitely should,” Wonshik agrees, and he wonders if he’ll ever hear Jaehwan sing. Somehow, he had a feeling he’d really like the sound, lovestruck personal biases aside.

“We’ll do karaoke sometime then,” Jaehwan laughs. “I always sing the top ten songs of the week whenever I go! It’ll be fun!”

“Fun,” Wonshik croaks, managing a weak smile. Yeah, he can’t wait to explain why his name will pop up on the credits of every single one of those top tens, but that’s something for another day.

When they finally manage to wander back down to their houses, two identical blue little things standing tall and narrow next to each other, Jaehwan faces Wonshik with a hand held out. He grasps it slowly, feeling Jaehwan’s palm against his own, and the feeling of strong fingers gripping his hand.

“Well, it was great chatting with you,” Jaehwan says brightly. “See you around, neighbour!”

“Yeah,” Wonshik nods, half waving as Jaehwan almost skips up to his front door. “See you, Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan turns on his doorstop and gives him one final smile. In that moment, the breath of wind parted the bit of cloud hovering over the sun up high. The sunlight that shone gently down illuminates the front of Jaehwan’s house with its brightness, lighting up the beautiful crinkles of Jaehwan’s eyes and the softness his face. Wonshik’s rooted to the spot, hardly able to breathe.

The chimes hanging somewhere in the distance tinkles, the sound sweet and melodic, and suddenly Wonshik wants to capture the moment. He wants to translate the flutter of his heart and the lump in his throat into notes and melodies, to transfer this moment into words that could be sung and spread the same emotions he felt now to his listeners. His fingertips trembled. He wanted to compose, right this instant. 

Barely a moment after Jaehwan steps back inside his house and shuts his door behind him, Wonshik is already bolting for his own place, lyrics piecing themselves together in his head with a kind of familiarity and swiftness he’s sorely missed.


	23. N/Hongbin - We Hover Between Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompts: chabean? sleepy blondecha and binnie playing with his hair while they snuggle up under thick blankets watching a movie hehe during a cold night, thank you so much!
> 
> 16/01/19

Unsurprisingly, Hakyeon falls asleep less than half an hour into the movie, his body a warm lump pressed against Hongbin’s front and his cheek resting against Hongbin’s collarbones, warm breath fanning over the exposed skin.

“What was the point of getting all excited and making all that popcorn when you’re gonna conk out before the action begins?” Hongbin says aloud, addressing no one in particular. Despite that, Hakyeon snuffle a bit against his chest, oddly in tune with Hongbin like he always is when it’s just the two of them.

He slumps down on the couch, careful not to jostle Hakyeon, and stretches his leg out from under the mass pile of blankets they’d heaped on themselves. Hongbin shivers as cold air creeps in from the bit of raised duvet and tries to drag the remote over with his socked foot. That plan fails spectacularly when his food slips and knocks the remote onto the ground instead. The clatter echoes sharply in the otherwise still living room. Hongbin winces, glancing down to see if Hakyeon’s woken up.

His boyfriend snores on, and Hongbin sighs.

“You should’ve just gone to sleep,” he complains without any real heat, sliding one hand into Hakyeon’s hair while he unlocks his phone with the other. The thin, rather brittle strands of recently-bleached hair catches on his fingers when Hongbin combs through the short strands and tries to search through the app store for a remote control app. They often refrained from dyeing their hair into lighter colours because of all the damage that comes with it, but Hongbin can’t help but secretly admire the bright, happy colour in Hakyeon’s hair. It’ll be a bitch to maintain, but right now, in the serene stillness, it seems like nothing can touch them.

Not the glare of the spotlight, the exhausting back-to-back hours of their schedule, not the ever present eye of the camera.

Hongbin finds the app a moment later, downloads it, and quickly mutes the television. The sounds of dialogue and background music cuts off sharply, leaving the actors on screen to mouth along to words Hongbin’s no longer paying attention too.

Hakyeon’s face is so relaxed when he’s asleep, unguarded and a little frowny sometimes, usually after he’s had a long day. One of the little things Hongbin’s noticed is that Hakyeon only sleeps with his mouth closed when he’s dozing in the car.

“It’s so people can’t take embarrassing pictures of me when we’re travelling,” Hakyeon had said, voice wise when Hongbin asked.

“But you just embarrass yourself doing other stuff on live television anyway,” Hongbin replied, fighting to keep a straight face, and he got an elbow to the gut for his cheek.

It’s getting late, and Hongbin can feel his own eyes droop despite his best attempts to keep them open. Hakyeon’s warm weight on him paired with the comforts of the blankets is far too comfortable, the feeling too homey.

He sighs and tucks his chin overtop of Hakyeon’s head, fingers of one hand curled loosely into his boyfriend’s hair and the other cupping the back of his neck.

It’s less than forty-five minutes into the movien, and Hongbin’s asleep too.


	24. Leo/Hyuk - Sun Set; Rise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: 'You're dripping like an over-saturated sunrise', with any pairing you're comfortable with or think fits the prompt the most. Any genre. Thank you and ilu (ˊ̥̥̥̥̥ ³ ˋ̥̥̥̥̥)
> 
> 16/01/19

Hakyeon finds him sitting on the rocks, facing the sea, knees drawn to his chest and eyes squinting against the salt-scented breeze. Sanghyuk doesn’t acknowledge his friend’s presence, but he knows Hakyeon doesn’t mind. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore fills the silence between them, though it’s a lonely sound. Even the gulls are absent in the grey, clouded sky.

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon finally says. His voice is tired, but he’s still gentle when he speaks. “You can’t wait here for him like this.”

“I’m on a break,” Sanghyuk replies. His chin digs into the thin tendons on the back of his hand as he speaks, his sitting position holding his head up as he gazes out into the distance.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Hakyeon chides, giving him a nudge. Sanghyuk nudges back with equal lightness.

“Hongbin watches for Wonshik too, you know,” he mumbles. “Through the upstairs window of the attic, up on the lighthouse when it’s his shift, and down on the beach before it gets dark.”

Hakyeon sighs next, and when Sanghyuk looks over, there’s pain and lines of wariness on the elder’s face.

“I know that,” Hakyeon murmurs, closing his eyes. Sanghyuk swallows and looks away, feeling like he’s intruding on something personal. He wonders if, after being the one to force them to carry on with life with tireless relentlessness for so long, that Hakyeon wants to give up on believing Taekwoon and Wonshik will come back home. He doesn’t blame Hakyeon if his friend does; all this waiting hurts more than any of them could bear to admit out loud.

“Unless I know he’s dead for sure,” Sanghyuk whispers, refusing to flinch the way Hakyeon does when he says _dead_. “I won’t stop waiting.”

“Persistent little bastard,” Hakyeon chuckles humourlessly. He pats Sanghyuk on the head, and Sanghyuk can feel his heart physically lurch. Taekwoon used to do that all the time— anything from a little hair ruffle during the mornings to the way he’d brush Sanghyuk’s bangs away from his face on the windy days. Then there’s the times they used to go swimming together by the cliff and sink into another world under the water, sea water stinging his eyes as he watched Taekwoon’s lean body glide effortlessly along the shallow bottom of the shoreline.

What he wouldn’t give to see that again, to feel Taekwoon’s fingers brush through the strands of hair floating above Sanghyuk’s head as they swam together underwater, back when the sun still shone in the blue sky, and they were happy without realizing how quickly it could all fall away.

+

He catches Hongbin glancing out the screen door they’d prop open every night, ushering in the last of the chilled breeze so they wouldn’t sweat in their sleep at night. Hongbin’s changed a lot this past month too; his jaw is sharper, the bags under his eyes darker, and his words quieter. Sanghyuk wonders if he’s grown as sad and melancholic as his friend when they’re both waiting for their lovers to return home.

“C’mon,” he says softly, tugging at Hongbin’s sleeve. Hongbin allows Sanghyuk to pull him away. They’ve still got to put away the tools in the shed and sweep up the shop before night falls. Jaehwan’s taken the shift up in the lighthouse until one of them relieves him. Hakyeon’s just returned from his trip to town, next week’s groceries sitting in the back of the pickup and waiting for him to bring in. Routine is what keeps them all together, and Sanghyuk’s dug himself into his daily work to keep himself moving and to stop himself from thinking.

They walk outside, sand and gravel crunching underfoot as they made their way to the shed. It’s a strange evening today— the clouds have parted for once, revealing the blood reds and heavy orange hues of the sky as the day comes to an end. The wind blows sharply, as if ushering something in, the waves on the shore clash in restlessness, and Jaehwan is running towards them from the lighthouse for some reason.

“Guys!” Jaehwan yells, his expression pinched and his voice hitching from pants. “Guys, there’s a boat by the dock!”

Sanghyuk’s blood freezes in his veins, and he’s aware of Hongbin’s cut-off choke next to him.

He’s already running down the path to the beach before Jaehwan can finish yelling, “ _Someone’s come back!_ ”. Hongbin’s on his heels, and they nearly crash into a confused Hakyeon as they race down to the water.

Jaehwan didn’t lie; there is, in fact, someone on the docks, but it’s nearly impossible to tell who it is from the distance. Sanghyuk skids to a stop at the top of the hill, next to the boulders and just before the path vanishes into the soft mounds of sand. Hongbin stops too, and grabs his wrist, grip almost painful, and his friend’s expression is tight.

It’s because there is only one person walking up from the dock, tall and broad-shouldered, and Sanghyuk wants to scream.

Who is it?

The wind blows hard, and the clouds race across the sky, parting just enough to let the blazing light of the setting sun shine through. The intense colours spills around the person’s body and throws their features into darkness, leaving only a mysterious silhouette behind. Sanghyuk can’t stop the desperate moan that escapes him. He hears Hongbin crying next to him as his heart pounds in his throat. Who has come home? Is it Wonshik, Hongbin’s soulmate? Or is it Taekwoon, Sanghyuk’s most beloved?

Who?

_Who?_


	25. Ravi/Ken - What Did You Say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: wonjae where wonshik delivers pizza and jaehwan accidentally says i love you at the end of an call
> 
> 16/01/19

“ _So Hot Pizzas_ , what can I get for your today?” the low voice sounds through the earpiece of Jaehwan’s headphones, and it takes him a moment to actually realize he’s connected.

“Uh, hi, yeah, could I get two large pizzas?” he says, eyes never leaving his computer screen as his hand moves the pen over his poor, beat-up tablet. Strokes follow each of his gestures as the guy taking his order makes a noise of affirmation.

“Sure thing. Toppings?”

“Uhh… one Hawaiian, and the other… fuck,” Jaehwan curses under his breath when the line goes too far, his fingers automatically going for control z.

“Pardon? I didn’t get the last one?” the guy asks, and Jaehwan startles.

“Um, yeah, pepperoni. Just pepperoni.”

“Cool,” pizza guy says. “Your order comes with a choice of chicken wings or onion rings for the side dish, pepsi or cola for the drink, and what kind of dip do you want?”

“Eh?” Jaehwan splutters, pausing to think. He eyes the pile of take-out wrappers from the fried chicken place he’s been ordering in from for the past week and a half now, and he swears his stomach makes a hideous noise of protest before he could even think about eating those greasy birds ever again.

“Onion rings please,” he says instead, brushing a mixture of eraser bits and bread crumbs off his desk. When was the last time he cleaned? His roommate was gonna kill him when he got back from his field work (and incidentally, it was because Taekwoon, resident chef and instant noodles expert, fucked off to go knows where in the mountains to dig up ancient animal bones that left Jaehwan resorting to ordering out almost every single day).

Pizza guy is talking again, and Jaehwan has forgotten to listen once more.

“Hello? What kind of drink would you like, sir?”

“Cola! Cola,” Jaehwan answers quickly.

“Okay…” faint beeping could be heard in the background, and then, “And your dip?”

“Just garlic dip please.”

“Awesome!” the guy says cheerfully. He prompts for Jaehwan’s address, and Jaehwan rattles off the apartment number and his phone number as he squints at that particular shade of turquoise on the screen. Was it just him, or did it look bluer than the shade he used yesterday night?

“Your order will be delivered within the next half hour. Thanks for choosing _So Hot Pizzas_!”

“Yup,” Jaehwan says, before adding, “Thanks, love you too.”

Pizza guy goes silent on the other side, and Jaehwan’s pen falls out of his hand.

For a moment, there’s a spectacularly awkward lack of words being exchanged before Jaehwan hears, “Oh my _GOD_ , HAKYEON, I WIN, I GOT AN ‘I LOVE YOU’ ON THE LINE!”

“What,” Jaehwan says, and then hears yelling, laughing, and a weird bit of noise before another man is speaking very quickly through the phone.

“Hello valued customer, did you, buy any chance, say _I love you_ to one of our employees here just now?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jaehwan says. There’s a burst of static on the other side and next thing he knows the phone’s back to the first guy, the one with the low voice.

“Sorry about that, there’s this bet we have at the store, the first person taking an order to get an accidental _I love you_  wins all the cash that’s been collected in the swear jar up till that moment,” the man says, laughing sheepishly.

“Is that a thing?” Jaehwan couldn’t help but ask. What a strange pizza store.

“Well, Hakyeon doesn’t like us swearing, even when we’re making pizza in the back, so he came up with the swear jar.”

“How much did you win?”

“Uhh… there’s probably four hundred dollars in there by now; the delivery guy spilled like a dozen crates of fillets in the loading dock a while ago and every time someone slipped on a fish they’d swear and then they’d have to pay up.”

“Oh my god,” Jaehwan laughs. “What’re you gonna do with all that money?”

“Well, since I won the bet because of you, your order can be on me,” the guy suggests. “I’ll bring it over myself.”

“Wow, that’s generous,” Jaehwan grins. “Should I thank you then, ah…?”

“Wonshik,” Wonshik the pizza guy replies. “And you are?”

“Jaehwan,” Jaehwan chuckles. “I’ll look forwards to my free pizza then.”

“You got it,” Wonshik replies. “And thanks for order at _So Hot Pizzas_ — where we’re fresh and hot every day!”


	26. OT6 (Ravi centric) - Conceptualize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Prompt: OT6- reactions to the announcement of the chained up concept, outfits, and choreography ^_^
> 
> 16/01/20

“Sorry, we’re getting choked, _what_?”

“You want us to go _shirtless_?”

“Hold up, we’re slaves to who? You?”

“Wrong,” Wonshik interrupts as loudly as he could, glowering down at his groupmates, all of whom were grinning or snickering too much to have actually misheard everything he said. “Wrong, wrong, and _wrong again_.”

“Who gave him the creativity rights for this comeback?” Jaehwan jokes from where he’s sprawled across the floor, head pillowed in Sanghyuk’s lap as he tapped away on his phone. It was probably some new game he’s obsessed with for the week.

“Do you have any better ideas?” Wonshik challenges, jabbing his pen in Jaehwan’s direction. Jaehwan actually lights up and begins to say, “Well actually I was thinking we could do a summer theme with me as the most beautiful woodland fairy in the whole realm and you guys as the grubby little dwarves living in my forest—”

“ _As I was saying_ ,” Wonshik stresses, spinning around to ignore Jaehwan and an openly laughing Hongbin. “Love slaves. That’s the concept. It’ll be great.”

“So are we just gonna do a ten hour video of us recording and you producing?” Hakyeon asks.

“How can that even remotely relate to being love slaves?” Wonshik sighs, crossing his arms. Hakyeon blinks at him, smiling cutely.

“Well, you’re the ruthless and mean producer who makes us stay until everything is literally perfect, but we still love you enough to keep on recording! See! Love slaves!”

“No,” Wonshik says bluntly, even as he feels his face turning red. “Wrong again.”

“What’s this about us going shirtless?” Taekwoon pipes up pointedly. “We haven’t gone shirtless since Hyde.”

“We’re _not_  shirtless,” Wonshik says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We’re gonna wear suits, but just nothing underneath. It’ll just be the jacket. And the highlight of our costumes will be the choker.”

“So you are trying to choke us!” Sanghyuk accuses, and Wonshik throws his pen at the youngest.

“Quiet you, or I’m not buying you that new game you want,” he warns, and ignores Sanghyuk’s whisper-shout of, “You only said you would because you wanted to play as well!”

“I’m not exposing my chest for this,” Hakyeon warns, flicking his hair away from his face. “And I’m not going back to the gym just for this comeback either.”

“Oh, you and Jaehwan are gonna get jackets that button all the way up to begin with,” Wonshik says, waving Hakyeon off.

“Hey! What’s wrong with exposing my hot body!” Jaehwan yells indignantly, and Sanghyuk tuts as he wrestles the elder back down.

“I’m pretty sure your abs are just as mythical as your summer fairy concept.”

“Ingrates,” Jaehwan hisses, and gets a bite to the ear from Sanghyuk for his troubles. “Ow! Stop!”

“Can you two please focus?” Wonshik demands, feeling his eye twitch. Is this what being a middle school teacher feels like?

“My abs have been hibernating since 2012 too,” Taekwoon says, a hopeful look in his eyes. “Can I also—?”

“No,” Wonshik huffs. “You, me, Hongbin and Hyukkie; we’ve got to man the skinship levels between the four of us when we’re two members short in that aspect.”

“ _You’re_  the one who denied by ab revealing rights!” Jaehwan complains petulantly.

“It’s for the greater good,” Hongbin snorts, eyes twinkling.

“Anyway,” Wonshik fairly shouts, waving his hands in front of the others to catch their attention. “That’s the preliminary concepts of it! Now stop complaining and start practicing the sample lyrics I gave you!”

“Bossy,” Sanghyuk clucks his tongue, and Wonshik pretends to roll his eyes in the youngest’s direction. As his notes are commandeered by Taekwoon, Hakyeon suddenly catches him by the arm and drags Wonshik down to sit between him and Hongbin.

“You know, if you wanted to see us shirtless, you could’ve just asked,” Hakyeon teases, poking him in the cheek.

“No need to do it in this awful roundabout way,” Hongbin adds, and Wonshik splutters.

“Not everything’s about you ungrateful lot,” he huffs, even as Hakyeon slings an arm around his shoulders and gives him a comforting squeeze.

“Alright, alright, we promise to stop making fun of you and work hard,” he says in his leader-is-right voice. “We’ll look pretty on stage because of you and everybody will be happy, okay?”

“And next time, we’re doing the fairy concept!” Jaehwan yells, to general amusement and more eye rolls. The pretend-anger melts away once the others start goofing off again; Wonshik knows they’re secretly excited about this comeback too, with a more daring concept and newer songs. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forwards to this either.

“Hang on,” Taekwoon says, a little frown on his face as he squints down at Wonshik’s slanted writing. “ _Who’s_  doing the most body rolls in the choreo again?”


	27. Leo/Hyuk - Au Naturel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Leohyuk- as much as hyuk want to deny it, he's very naturally cute
> 
> 16/01/20

“Yo,” Hongbin says when he walks into the kitchen, making a beeline for the refrigerator as he discards his jacket. “Why’s Taekwoon lying face down on the couch like a dead man?”

“That’s because Sanghyuk killed him,” Jaehwan snorts, busy reading his script for the upcoming musical he’s been casted in.

“What, did he do that stupid judo move again?”

“Nah,” Jaehwan laughs, wiggling his eyebrows. “Sanghyuk was practicing his own lines for his movie in the bedroom with Taekwoon, but he kept getting flustered and then Taekwoon wouldn’t stop saying he was cute, so Hyukkie banished him to the sofa while he rehearses alone.”

“So he’s sulking,” Hongbin clarifies, selecting a bottle of juice from behind the eggs before straightening up.

“Yup, he’s sulking,” Jaehwan agrees, and they grin at each other. Hongbin cracks the drink open and takes a long gulp, sighing in contentment. Jaehwan hums and taps his chin with his pencil.

“But you know, underneath all that bulk, Sanghyuk is actually pretty cute.”

“Duh,” Hongbin says. “Taekwoon wouldn’t be so smitten otherwise.”

“Ah, young love,” Jaehwan sighs, shaking his head fondly. “Turns even the most manly pair into dumb dorks.”

+

“What are you doing now?” Wonshik says warily, and Taekwoon jumps, cheeks turning red as he gives a quick glance around the store. It’s mostly empty because of the late hour, but Taekwoon’s still acting weird nonetheless.

“Nothing,” the elder mutters, avoiding Wonshik’s inquisitive stare in favour of peering around the shelf instead. Curious, Wonshik drops the shopping basket to his feet and peers around the corner too.

Unsurprisingly, standing in front of the snack shelf is Sanghyuk, who’s got boxes upon boxes of crackers and munchies piled up in his arms while he contemplates between another chocolate snack or packs of roasted seaweed. He’s gnawing his lip as he stares at the two. In one moment he’d tuck the chocolate under his arm and then make to put the seaweed back, but then he’d pause and look back at the snack pile again. The process happened four or five more times, and hidden around the corner, Wonshik shook his head as he watched Taekwoon watching Sanghyuk struggling to choose a snack.

“You could just go up and help him choose,” Wonshik suggests, but Taekwoon waves him off.

“If I do, he’ll wheedle me into buying both,” Taekwoon mumbles. “Besides, he acts like such a kid when he thinks nobody’s looking.”

“And you are being such a creep,” Wonshik jokes. He gets a swift kick to the back of the knee for his comment before taking that as a cue to haul ass. He grabs the basket and wanders off, trying his best to read the nearly illegible list of groceries Jaehwan scribbled out for him. Somebody has to make sure they finish their grocery shopping.

+

“He’s turning into a real man,” Hakyeon had said no more than ten minutes ago, but the conversation had descended into utter madness ever since the radio host asked Sanghyuk about the cute dance and song combo he does every time he’s on broadcast nowadays, and now their youngest is doing his best to sing and dance to that ridiculous song while avoiding all the mic stands and wires littering the room.

“Does he ever get sick of that song?” Hakyeon whispers jokingly to Taekwoon, who shoves Hakyeon back with false aloofness. He can tell Taekwoon’s gone all mushy on the inside simply by the way he’s watching Sanghyuk dance and sing and laugh, the adoring light practically shining through his eyes.

“He’s so lovestruck,” Hongbin mouths from across the table, and Jaehwan has to stuff a fist in his own mouth to keep from laughing.

“What a cute dance!” the host calls when Sanghyuk poses at the end.

“It’s not a cute dance,” Sanghyuk jokes. “It’s a really manly dance if you focus on the lyrics and the muscle action!”

“Oh yeah, real manly,” Wonshik chuckles, pulling his cap over his eyes.

“We should get Leo to try it out then,” the host suggests, and Taekwoon immediately starts to shake his head. “Such a soft voice singing a manly song! Won’t you show us?”

“Ah, I can’t—” Taekwoon begins, blushing, but Hakyeon is quick to swoop in and push Taekwoon out of his chair and right into Sanghyuk’s chest. Sanghyuk catches him and steadies Taekwoon with his arms around the elder. Hakyeon catches a bit of colour rising in his cheeks, and the way Sanghyuk blinks down at his boyfriend is just _adorable_.

“C’mon guys,” he calls, reclining in his chair. “As your leader, I command you to go forth!”

“Good one,” Jaehwan murmurs, and they exchange the most satisfying high-five together beneath the table.

+

It’s almost one in the morning when Taekwoon collapses face-first onto the mattress in the living room, hair still damp from his shower and limbs aching from a pleasant practice session at a local gym for the upcoming idol sports tournament. It’s been a while since Taekwoon’s done so much running and kicking in general, and muscles that had been neglected for so long are protesting at the intense treatment. He doesn’t mind though; it felt great letting loose with his favourite game.

He hears one of the bedroom doors open and close, shuffling footsteps, and then the light flicks on at the lowest setting. The mattress dips a little as Sanghyuk sits down beside him, resting a warm hand on Taekwoon’s back as he yawns.

“You’re b-b-back,” Sanghyuk mumbles, shaking sleep from his eyes.

“Yeah,” Taekwoon answers quietly. He turns over and winds their fingers together. Sanghyuk looks down at their joined hands and then looks away, pink dusting his cheeks.

“Should’ve texted me you were staying out late.”

“Sorry,” Taekwoon says, patting the back of Sanghyuk’s hand. “Were you waiting up?”

“No, I was gonna call you if you didn’t come back in another hour,” Sanghyuk hums.

“I’m so loved,” Taekwoon chuckles, and Sanghyuk pretends to huff, turning his head to the side again. Taekwoon raises a tired arm and tries to tap Sanghyuk’s chin, making him look back. “Hey. Thanks for waiting up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sanghyuk says, but he squeezes Taekwoon’s hand all the same. Taekwoon grins.

“Cute,” he sighs, tugging Sanghyuk down to lie on top of him, and Sanghyuk grumbles.

“Not cute,” he argues back, even though his eyes are drooping sleepily and he’s trying to tuck his head into the crook of Taekwoon’s neck. “ ‘M manly.”

“…cutely manly,” Taekwoon offers, dragging the blanket up on the two of them, and he feels a puff of air tickle his neck as Sanghyuk laughs.

“We’ll see about that.”


	28. Ravi/Ken - Slowly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Domestic husbands Raken and sleepy morning sex please
> 
> 16/01/20
> 
> *nsfw

He’s got no idea just how _long_  Wonshik’s alarm can keep on ringing for, but it’s already the fourth cycle of the song his husband had set, and Jaehwan thinks he might actually throw the phone.

That is, if he could muster the strength to lift his arm out from under the warmth of the sheets.

“Wonshik,” Jaehwan grumbles into his pillow. He gets a grunt in response. “Please turn off your alarm.”

Another grunt. No action.

Jaehwan lifts his head and squints at his husband’s prone form. He’s got his hood pulled up and the blankets tucked up to his nose. A chunk of uncombed hair falls into Jaehwan’s eyes, and he shakes it away impatiently.

“Wonshik,” he whines, wiggling his hand over to prod Wonshik in the back. “Turn it off.”

“Five more minutes,” Wonshik mutters, curling further away from Jaehwan’s jabs.

“That’s it,” Jaehwan says, and scrapes together every last bit of power in his sleepy frame. He sits up and almost topples over onto Wonshik’s side of the bed, but catches himself just in time. Wonshik suddenly jolts and lets out a pained “oof!”, and when Jaehwan looks down, he sees that he’s managed to squash Wonshik’s stomach.

“Oops,” he says dryly, and lifts his legs to straddle his husband. He grabs the phone, switches the alarm off, and then dismisses the next four Wonshik’s set up. “What’s the point of setting so many alarms if you’re never gonna get up for them?”

“You always wake up for them,” Wonshik hums, hands coming to rest on Jaehwan’s waist. “And you wake me up. It works out.”

“Lazy bum,” Jaehwan chides, pinching Wonshik’s sides. Wonshik groans and bucks upwards instinctively, brushing his crotch against Jaehwan’s butt.

“Oh,” Jaehwan says, a smirk curling on the corners of his lips. “Good morning, indeed.”

“Shut up,” Wonshik replies, blinking sleepily up at Jaehwan. His hands wander lower, low enough to rest on Jaehwan’s thighs. Long fingers massage the muscle there, and Jaehwan rolls his shoulders.

“I can’t believe you’d wake up for morning sex.”

“Not everybody can say they have a husband with hot morning looks to wake up to,” Wonshik says, shameless, and Jaehwan laughs.

“Touché,” he whispers, leaning over to kiss Wonshik. He grinds his ass back, and Wonshik moans loudly into Jaehwan’s mouth. His hands tighten their grip before he slides Jaehwan onto his side. He rolls them over until he’s hovering over Jaehwan, not bothering to prop his lower half up. Jaehwan sighs, tugging at Wonshik’s hair as his husband trails his fingertips along the elastic of his boxers.

“C’mon,” Jaehwan mumbles, kissing Wonshik harder. His eyes slide shut, and for a moment he’s almost lulled back into sleep, but then Wonshik strokes his length once, twice, and Jaehwan squeezing his eyes shut for another reason. They kiss and kiss, and when Jaehwan finally starts to lose his cool, he scrapes his nails down Wonshik’s back, and Wonshik breaks away, panting.

“Condom,” Wonshik gasps, hanging his head as he trembles above Jaehwan. He scoots over on the bed a little, fumbling in the drawer until his fingers close over onto the foil packets.

“You can handle putting this on yourself, right?” he teases lightly, and gets a nip to the neck for his sass.

They fuck slowly, and it’s nearly unbearable. Neither of them are totally awake, but Jaehwan feels like his heart is pounding like he’s doing a sprint. He feels the warmth of Wonshik’s naked chest against his own, the way his muscular thighs bracket’s Jaehwan’s hips, and the fervent kisses Wonshik presses all over him— neck, cheeks, the corners of his eyes and on his forehead. He feels so languid. So complete.

They come moments apart, and Wonshik nearly collapses on top of Jaehwan when he’s spent. They take a moment to catch their breath, clutching each other with their eyes closed. Everything feels suspended, and Jaehwan finds that he doesn’t mind that, not when it’s Wonshik he’s hovering in some kind of sleepy post-orgasmic bliss with.

“Love you,” Wonshik rumbles suddenly, kissing Jaehwan’s cheek with unbearable softness. “Love you so much… love you always.”

“Me too,” Jaehwan whispers, leaning in so that their foreheads touch. “You make me so happy.”

“I’m glad,” Wonshik laughs, hugging him close. “So glad you married me. So happy I can wake up to you each morning.”

“I know,” Jaehwan chuckles, smoothing Wonshik’s mussed hair away from his husband’s face. “And you know I feel the same.”

“Yeah,” Wonshik sighs, snuggling happily against Jaehwan. “I know that very much.”


	29. Ravi/Ken - Gotta Keep A Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I absolutely loved your raken husband fill and was wondering if you could write a spy au where Ravi has the biggest crush on the agency's top agent Ken and they have to go undercover as a couple
> 
> 16/01/28

“L-let’s go, _h-honey_ ,” Wonshik stammers, fumbling behind him for the hand he had meant to grasp, but he only ended up jabbing his fingers into a solid chest. He hears a light grunt and cringes so badly he almost drops the keycards the hotel’s receptionist had handed to him.

Fortunately, the fingers find his and gives him a light squeeze as Agent Ken tugs him away from the desk. “Of course, dear,” he smiles, dazzlingly bright, and Wonshik has to physically fight the urge to just faint across his partner’s feet.

_Work_ partner. They’re just work partners, Wonshik reminds himself. They’re here, at their agency’s command, on a fake vacation to work.

Agent Ken is the epitome of the excited newlywed as he tugs his colourful suitcase and a stiff-legged Wonshik along. He stays close as they ride the elevator with another young couple and a family of four, head resting on Wonshik’s chest as they lean against the corner. He wraps his arms around Agent Ken a little too late to appear natural, and when Wonshik finally does, he can see his own constipated reflection in the mirror.

This mission was not going well.

Agent Ken doesn’t drop the coy, starry-eyed expression until they’ve done a full sweep of the room and deemed it clear. That’s when his face morphs into one that’s a little more travel-wary and solemn. When he turns to look at Wonshik, he already feels like digging a hole for himself to crawl into.

“We’re not acting very convincingly together,” Agent Ken says. There’s no accusation in his tone, but he’s not sugarcoating his opinion either. It’s more leeway than Wonshik would’ve expected to receive on a relatively high profile mission they’re tasked with.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, looking down at his feet. “It won’t happen again.”

“We’ll definitely have to up our game when we’re on that CEO’s tail,” Agent Ken nods. He takes his hat off and tosses it onto the bedspread, thinking. “In any case, let’s set up all of our equipment and make a plan from there on.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Wonshik nods, fervent, and the corners of Agent Ken’s mouth quirks upwards in amusement.

“I know you’re still pretty fresh in the agency, but I’ve heard good things about you, Agent Ravi,” he says, and Wonshik’s heart leaps up to his throat. “This will be a good opportunity for us— it’d be good if we can work together again after this mission too.”

“R-really?” Wonshik squeaks, and immediately turns red. Agent Ken, their agency’s _top_  agent, saying it’d be good if they partnered up together again? Christmas might’ve come early for him.

“Well, we gotta clear this pseudo-holiday first,” Agent Ken says wryly. “C’mon, the faster we finish this the faster we can go home and take a real vacation.”

They unpack a bunch of their equipment on every available surface: the coffee table, the two armchairs, the desk and even on top of the television. Agent Ken starts brewing some instant coffee as he sits on the floor, cross-legged on top of a cushion, and begins to hack into the security camera’s video feed from the hotel’s system. Wonshik takes care of bugging and setting up their own room against any possible intruders (this includes hanging the _do not disturb_  sign over their doorknob— permanently).

When Wonshik does a bit of exploring around the hotel later on, he’s not surprised to find that it’s typical getaway resort, complete with a fancy restaurant, an arcade, and indoor hot tubs and saunas. He picks up dinner from a fast food place across the street, using the time to collect himself. Agent Ken might be the best in their agency, but Wonshik is a professional too. He won’t mess this up for either of them. The mission is going to be successful and he certainly won’t be the dead weight for Agent Ken to pick up the slack for.

Armed with that new determination, Wonshik marches back to his hotel with some local cuisine in hand, ready to work.

“Oh, hey, you’re back,” Agent Ken says when he enters the hotel room, and Wonshik nearly drops all of their dinner on the shoe mat.

Agent Ken had evidently decided to freshen up with a hot shower while Wonshik had gone out, and he’s currently standing in the middle of their hotel room with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Wonshik throws a desperate look into the bathroom— of course there’s a bathrobe in there, but why isn’t Agent Ken wearing it? Why is he shirtless and so casual about showing off his body? When will Wonshik finally retrieve his jaw off the ground?

That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon, since Agent Ken has flung himself onto the only bed in the room with the laptop, soft mouth turned down in a concentrated little frown as he dries his hair. The muscles on his abdomen and upper arms flex nicely as he does, and suddenly Wonshik feels like he needs a very cold shower.

“Come and take a look at all the hotel-run events our target’s signed up for with his fourth new wife,” Agent Ken calls, scrolling down on whatever it is he’s reading. “Couples yoga in the morning, pottery classes down at the waterfront, newlywed meditation together— oh, I hope you can dance as well.” Agent Ken’s grin is wide as he waggles his eyebrows at Wonshik. “They’ve signed up for ballroom dance lessons as well.”

“Oh god,” Wonshik nearly whines, and Agent Ken laughs, apparently mistaking Wonshik’s flustered thoughts of actually _holding_  his partner so closely for a fear of dancing.

“Don’t worry, I can take the lead for that,” Agent Ken winks, patting the mattress next to him. “Don’t just stand there— we should book these event together too like a real couple.”

Wonshik sets their dinner down on the bathroom counter (the only available space left in the whole room) and tries not to shake as he crawls onto the bed next to Agent Ken.

Work partners, he reminds himself.

They’re only work partners.


	30. OT6 (N centric) - We Began Like This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hello. I just started following you on AO3 and I love everything that I've read so far. I was wondering if you could/would write an OT6 N-centric fic about N's first kiss with each of the members (in the order that they happened) and what lead up to them. Thanks for considering this!
> 
> 16/01/28

Hakyeon remembers how he’s kissed each of them when they forgot to do the dishes for a week straight and were forced to eat their dinner (instant noodles that were getting soggier by the minute) sharing the only pair of clean chopsticks— and Wonshik had jokingly said that it was a huge mess of indirect kisses for all six of them.

He’d kissed Jaehwan first, during the down time in between promotions. Jaehwan had come to him, frustrated and a little embarrassed, and asked Hakyeon to help him out with his dancing.

“I’ve still got a lot to improve on,” Jaehwan had said, expression gloomy. “Help me? Please?”

Hakyeon hadn’t even let him finish; he was already planning out lessons in his head, thinking of methods to help Jaehwan nail the steps down. They’d stay in after regular practice and sweat it out in the studio during the times Jaehwan would usually do his own vocal practices.

“This is a mess,” Jaehwan groaned three weeks in, lying flat on his back and panting hard to catch his breath. Hakyeon chuckled and gave him a friendly nudge with his foot.

“Aw, c’mon, you’re doing fine,” he said, but Jaehwan’s mouth had turned downwards in a rather uncharacteristic frown. He rolled away from Hakyeon, an exhausted lump on the floor.

“I’m just shit,” Jaehwan mutters, maybe more to himself than Hakyeon, but the words still shocked him. “I don’t even know why I’m trying anymore.”

He dropped to his knees beside Jaehwan before he could stop himself, grabbing the younger man’s wrist and pulling him upright. Jaehwan’s brow crinkled, his expression tight, and Hakyeon seized Jaehwan’s face with both hands and kissed him firmly.

He remembered the way Jaehwan stiffens in shock, but then melted against him, hands scrambling to clutch Hakyeon’s shirt. And even though their first kiss was a little short lived, they spend nearly an hour just sitting together after, Jaehwan cuddled in Hakyeon’s arms and head pillowed against Hakyeon’s chest.

+

Wonshik was second; pure, soft-hearted Wonshik, who couldn’t hide his emotions nearly as well as he thought he could. Hakyeon had been creeping on daily online articles about their group one day and had accidentally left his laptop open after stumbling upon a pit of distasteful comments. He’d gone to take a breather, grab a drink to soothe his irritated mood, but when he returned to his laptop it was the the sight of a furious Wonshik glaring down at the article.

“Why were you reading this?” Wonshik demanded, brow furrowed and voice tight with fury. “This— this _garbage_.”

“I was just scrolling through,” Hakeyon said, alarmed at the sheer amount of hostility emitting from his friend. “Just close it—”

“They have no right,” Wonshik scowled, stalking away from the laptop. He paced to the wall and was forced to turn right back. “Saying stuff like that—”

“Wonshik,” Hakyeon began, but was cut off.

“—those things about us—”

“Wonshik,” Hakyeon said, louder, and was talked over again.

“—and about _you_ , how dare they—”

He forwent any attempts of speaking this time, because it clearly wasn’t working, and darted forwards instead. Grabbing Wonshik around the middle, Hakyeon nearly headbutted the rapper in the face trying to smoosh their lips together. Wonshik’s rant spluttered to a quick halt, and for a moment he just stood there, arms in the air. And then Hakyeon withdrew, feeling a little heated around the neck but laughing at the absolutely dumbstruck expression on Wonshik’s face as well.

“Relax,” he cooed, patting Wonshik’s cheek. If possible, Wonshik’s face morphed from pink to bright red, and all the anger seemed to fizzle out of him before he turned away, hiding his face behind his palms.

“Don’t just _spring_  that kind of stuff on me,” he moaned, and Hakyeon burst out into laughter, hugging Wonshik close.

“I had to stop you somehow,” he said smugly, and only got another embarrassed wail in response.

+

It came as a surprise, but Taekwoon was his third kiss— and the only one Hakyeon didn’t initiate.

They’d taken a habit to go on walks together at night nowadays. The weather was pleasant and the atmosphere was peaceful. It was a stark contrast to the unending chaos of their working life and the dorm’s own liveliness, even though Taekwoon had taken to staying overnight at the studios nowadays to compose.

Going for long walks from the apartment to the park and from the small 24-Hour convenience store to the bridge was their way of winding down, as both leaders and producers and the eldest members of their little family.

“I love this life,” Hakyeon sighed one night on their way back to the dorms, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he tried to balance on the curb. “But sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever get a break from this point onwards.”

“Even if you can’t catch a break, don’t shy away from support,” Taekwoon murmured in reply. His beanie was jammed low on his head, hiding his ears. “Don’t forget that you can rely on us too, Hakyeon.”

“I know,” Hakyeon pouted. “But you’re all so busy too. I’ll handle what I can. Besides, I know I can always let loose when we’re together.”

He didn’t expect Taekwoon to suddenly grab his wrist and tug him to the side of the street, out of sight beneath the shadow of the surroundings buildings. Taekwoon’s eyes were sharp when he leaned in and pressed his lips to Hakyeon’s, muffling his confusion with a kiss. The fingers around his wrist slipped away even as Hakyeon raised his hands to grasp the collar of Taekwoon’s jacket, keeping them close even when Taekwoon broke their kiss slowly, lips just lingering on Hakyeon’s.

“Like I said,” Taekwoon whispered. “Rely on us too, alright?”

“R-right,” Hakyeon stammered, still dazed, and he only jolts back to the present when Taekwoon pulls his hat off and shoves it onto Hakyeon’s head, pulling it down past his eyes on purpose. “Oi! Taekwoon— Jung Taekwoon! Where do you think you’re going? Don’t try and walk away like some cool drama lead after kissing their co-star— hey, Taekwoon!”

+

The kiss with Hongbin was the one that flustered him the most, because Hakyeon still couldn’t get over how pushy and devious Hongbin could be when he knew exactly what he wanted.

“Tell me I did good,” Hongbin grinned from his perch on Hakyeon’s hips. Play wrestling had been a bad idea, Hakyeon thought to himself, especially when his attempt to kiss and distract tactic had failed when his mouth bumped into Hongbin’s shoulder instead.

“Y-you did good,” Hakyeon huffed, and Hongbin blinked innocently at him as he tapped his cheek with his index finger. Flushing, Hakyeon pushed himself up to give Hongbin a quick peck. “There.”

“Tell me I’m kicking ass in my drama right now,” Hongbin continued, tapping his nose now, and Hakyeon groaned, repeating the words before pressing his lips to Hongbin’s nose.

“Come on,” Hakyeon whined. “I’m sorry I tried to challenge you to a wrestling match, you got me, okay?”

“Then you should give me reward,” Hongbin teased, fingertip touching his lips. Hakyeon shivered even as he leaned forwards, aware of how Hongbin’s eyes have fluttered shut. Their mouths met, and Hongbin sighed into the kiss, all the previous bravado and mischievous gone.

“You win,” the younger admitted quietly, gaze flickering off to the side, and Hakyeon had to place his palm against Hongbin’s cheek and pull him back into their second kiss.

+

Last was Sanghyuk, and it took the combined efforts of Taekwoon, Jaehwan, Hongbin and Wonshik to make the kiss actually happen. It wasn’t that Hakyeon didn’t want to kiss Sanghyuk— quite the contrary, they often had moments of near intimacy that was only broken by Hakyeon’s retreat. He could tell Sanghyuk was getting frustrated with him and feeling the confusion, but he couldn’t help it.

He didn’t want to admit that the precious baby of their group had grown up too. And Hakyeon knew it wasn’t fair to think that way, but. He just had to work up the courage to face this.

His decision was made for him when he was ambushed one evening after coming home from an individual schedule. He’d barely toed his shoes off before Wonshik and Jaehwan had him by the arms and were pushing him into Wonshik and Sanghyuk’s shared room. Sanghyuk was on his laptop and working on something with headphones on when Hakyeon nearly tripped on a pair of paints falling in. The door closed shut behind him and he spun around, spluttering.

“What the heck?” Hakyeon asked, looking around. Sanghyuk pulled his headphones off his head, but he didn’t look surprised. Hakyeon straightened himself, suddenly nervous.

“I thought we should talk,” Sanghyuk began, standing.

“A-about what?” Hakyeon said, staring up at Sanghyuk. He was talking slow, deliberate steps towards Hakyeon, purposeful but not intimidating. Hakyeon hesitated but allowed Sanghyuk to back him to the wall and stand over him, nearly a full two inches taller.

“About how I’m not a little kid anymore,” Sanghyuk prodded. “And how long I’ve been waiting, too.”

“I-I didn’t want to push you into anything,” Hakyeon stammered. “I wasn’t trying to— belittle you, or look down on you.”

“Oh, I know that,” Sanghyuk said. His face was close now, very close. “I can see you holding yourself back, you know. It’s pretty obvious.”

“Is it now,” Hakyeon replied, voice higher than he’d like to admit. Sanghyuk nodded, his eyes darting towards Hakyeon’s mouth as he tilted his head, leaning in at microscopic increments.

When their lips were mere millimeters away, he finally whispered, “I’m waiting, Hakyeon,” and he finally surged forwards, ending what was basically months of unresolved tension with a bruising kiss. And Sanghyuk kissed back just as hard, hands on Hakyeon’s waist and pulling him close.

Behind the door, there was a loud thump and somebody yelling, “About damn time!”, and Hakyeon couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him.

He really did love his boys, so, so much.


	31. N/Hyuk - Right Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Chasang- they're snowed in, so now sanghyuk has to spend quality time with his "favorite hyung"
> 
> 16/01/30

“Never let it be said that I don’t know how to party,” Hakyeon says smugly, and Sanghyuk gives the room around him a cursory glance.

“Yup,” he replies, deadpan. “That’s fifty-seven socks folded in a little under twenty minutes. Pretty sure that’s a record somewhere.”

“Compared to you it might be,” Hakyeon grins, eyeing Sanghyuk’s own pile of socks— probably only fifteen of them in total— and he feels a spark of competitiveness inside of him, even though they had only been folding socks, and there was nothing really to compete over, anyway.

“Well, since we’re doing the laundry now, what else should we do?” Hakyeon asks, standing. He props the basket on his hip and brings it over to the closet. Sanghyuk shrugs and falls back onto the folded blankets, slumping into the fluffiness.

“I dunno,” he grunts.

“Well, since we threw washed and folded everything already, there’s actually no more laundry left to do,” Hakyeon says cheerfully.

“Shame,” Sanghyuk yawns, eyes crinkling shut, only to jolt back open when he feels a weight fall across his lap. He looks down to see Hakyeon lying with his back on his lap, back resting across Sanghyuk’s thighs, hands folded comfortably on his stomach, eyes closed.

“…what are you doing,” Sanghyuk asks, staring.

Hakyeon opens an eye and smiles sagely at him.

“Takin’ a break,” he hums, snuggling against Sanghyuk’s legs. “I’ve worked hard, you know.”

“I’m sure,” Sanghyuk mumbles. He hears the wind rattle the windows of the dorm outside and thinks back to the morning he returned, covered in show and snot frozen in his own nose only to find Hakyeon puttering about. The others hadn’t returned from their own vacation because of the heavy snow, leaving the two of them trapped in the apartment. He’d roped Sanghyuk into cleaning the place together: they’d scrubbed the kitchen down, vacuumed the rooms, cleared out the garbage and made lunch together. Now that laundry’s finished and late afternoon has settled in as silently as the snowfall had outside.

The silence stretches on for some time, until Sanghyuk’s twitching with the awkwardness of it.

“So— what did you do over the break?” he finally asks, unable to keep silent.

“Hm?” Hakyeon says. “Oh, the usual… stayed with my family, saw my nephews, slept a lot…”

“Sounds fun,” Sanghyuk mumbles. He feels fidgety, out of place, and unsure where he could put his hands. The length of Hakyeon’s back and shoulders against his legs is warm, pressing weight. He settles for letting his hands drop onto the blankets by his side.

“Missed you guys though,” Hakyeon adds. He opens his eyes and his gaze fixes on Sanghyuk. There’s a kind of knowingness in his look that Sanghyuk can’t pinpoint, and he bites his lip.

“Good thing you made it back despite the blizzard,” Hakyeon chuckles. “I thought I’d spend the next couple of days here all by myself with no one else to talk to.”

“It’s just me,” Sanghyuk blinks, cheeks warming when Hakyeon turns over and lets his face drop against Sanghyuk’s thigh, resting against the taut fabric of Sanghyuk’s jeans.

“Well, I am glad that it’s you,” Hakyeon whispers, voice feather-soft in the stillness of the room, and Sanghyuk swallows. He lifts his hand, feeling the tremors in his fingertips, and places it lightly on Hakyeon’s cheek.

Hakyeon smiles, eyes fluttering shut at Sanghyuk’s touch. He exhales quietly, dropping his thumb against the curve of Hakyeon’s cheekbone.

He might not have said it out loud, but he’s glad he’s here, too.


	32. OT6 (N centric) - You've Got Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: OT6 prompt: being a leader is very tiring; hakyeon is lucky he has his members to take care of him when things can get to be too much (open to having smut in it ^w^); thanks!
> 
> 16/01/30

“You look like you’re thinking about something,” Jaehwan comments when they’re lying together on the bed, Hakyeon’s head pillowed on Jaehwan’s chest and Taekwoon curled against Hakyeon’s other side. He’s halfway to dozing off already, hand limp on Hakyeon’s bare waist.

“Do I?” Hakyeon mumbles. He’s taken to counting the slow, steady beats of Jaehwan’s heart as Jaehwan cards his fingers through Hakyeon’s hair, the motion soothing.

“Were Taekwoon and I not enough to distract you from your troubles?” Jaehwan asks, a teasing lilt in his voice. Hakyeon huffs and pinches his hip.

“No,” he mumbles. “You two were fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?” Jaehwan presses, laughing now, and Hakyeon jerks his head up to glare at him. Taekwoon grunts sleepily from behind, hand squeezing Hakyeon’s side, and he refrains from shifting around so much.

“You two were _great_ ,” he reiterates, and Jaehwan pretends to bask in Hakyeon’s words.

“Well, you were moaning for me to go faster,” he preens. “And I’ve never seen Taekwoon look so starstruck when he’s with you before.”

Hakyeon shakes his head, feeling his face heat up. “Ridiculous,” he murmurs, flexing his back when he feels Taekwoon drag his nose along the top of his shoulders, the ticklish feeling of his breath on Hakyeon’s skin.

“We really should try to wake Wonshik next time,” Jaehwan yawns. “He’s good at sweet talking you into forgetting your troubles, even if it’s for a moment.”

Hakyeon frowns. “I’m not—” he begins, but it’s Taekwoon who speaks up this time.

“Something’s bothering you,” he says quietly. “I wish you’d tell us what it is.”

Hakyeon slumps, mouth pursed in an unhappy pout. “It’s nothing.”

“You don’t have to tell us now,” Jaehwan reassures him. He feels a kiss against his temple, light and comforting. “But please don’t just hide things from us either, okay? Or I’ll have to insist we keep a diary together. Ones with little locks on it and we’ll all have a key.”

“Okay! Okay,” Hakyeon snorts. “I’m fine, really. Just tired. I’d really like some cuddles right now, if you don’t mind.”

“Well why didn’t you just say so,” Jaehwan says, shifting down into the blankets. He tangles his legs with Hakyeon’s, yelping a little when Taekwoon’s cold toes slide sneakily in. They fall asleep like that, a bundle of warmth beneath the covers, and Hakyeon relaxes for the time being. The lull of dreams pull him in, accompanied by Jaehwan’s handsome face beside his and the feeling of Taekwoon’s protective form holding him from behind.

+

He’s lounging around on the couch with Wonshik and Sanghyuk a couple of days later, trembling minutely from where he’s sitting between Sanghyuk’s legs, kissing the younger softly while Wonshik kneels in front of him, mouthing along the side of Hakyeon’s neck.

“Taekwoon told us,” Wonshi whispers in between light presses of lips, “That you’ve got something on your mind.”

“I always do,” Hakyeon protests, pulling away from Sanghyuk with an audible _pop_. “It comes with being a leader.”

“Yeah, but you’re never this distracted,” Wonshik points out.

“Or so un-naggy,” Sanghyuk adds, squeezing Hakyeon closer. “I’m starting to think you’ve forgotten how to hassle us into drinking those horrible health drinks you keep buying from the home shopping channels.”

“I do _not_  watch home shopping channels!”

“I guess we can rule being brainwashed by bargain deals out,” Sanghyuk announces, a cheeky grin on his face. “So what’s you’re excuse?”

“Scripts giving you trouble?” Wonshik asks, kissing his neck.

“Or is it radio show problems?” Sanghyuk prods, his lips on the spot under Hakyeon’s ear. He shivers, moaning quietly at the sensation.

“Did something happen at home?”

“Was it something we did?”

“Or do you miss one of us?” Sanghyuk asks pointedly, and Hakyeon stiffens slightly. “Aha,” Sanghyuk sing-songs. “Somebody misses Hongbinnie.”

“Such a mom,” Wonshik coos, holding Hakyeon’s face with both hands. Disgruntled, Hakyeon bats at the two with half-hearted whacks.

“Yeah, yeah, I get antsy when we’re not all together, case solved,” he says loudly.

“We know that,” Sanghyuk agrees, exchanging a knowing look with Wonshik over Hakyeon’s shoulder. “He was insufferable when you and Taekwoon were away for LR promotions.”

“I heard,” Wonshik laughs, ignoring Hakyeon’s death glare. “Don’t worry, Hongbin’ll wrap up his shoot soon enough. You know he’s working hard to come home.”

“And we’ll be there to welcome him when he does,” Sanghyuk adds, dropping his chin on Hakyeon’s shoulder. Wonshik nods as well, his expression fond as he gazes down at Hakyeon. He closes his eyes and tilts his head back, letting Wonshik’s mouth meld against his and Sanghyuk nuzzle against his cheek, and tries to do as Wonshik had said: to not worry.

+

And of course its the day that he’s out on schedule until the late hours of the night that Hongbin returns.

He comes home quietly at half past twelve at night, the wariness of schedules weighing down on him as he toed his shoes off and dropped his bag into the living room. The others are either asleep or shut up in their rooms, working, so Hakyeon roots through the kitchen in search of something to eat. When he hears a door open and footsteps down the hallway, he turns, expecting maybe Wonshik or Taekwoon, but it’s another familiar face that greets him this time.

“Hongbin,” Hakyeon breathes in surprise, nearly dropping his bottle of water.

Hongbin tilts his head, bright-eyed and gleeful, and holds his arms open for Hakyeon to crash into. They stagger back and topple against the wall; Hakyeon buries his face into the crook of Hongbin’s neck and exhales heavily.

“You’re back,” he whispers, clutching at the fabric of Hongbin’s sweater, and feels Hongbin nod. “I missed you,” he adds belatedly, and feels Hongbin’s hands tighten around him.

“I know,” Hongbin murmurs, his voice a soothing timbre in Hakyeon’s ears. His hands wander down, one pressing against the dip of Hakyeon’s spine and the other sliding under the hem of Hakyeon’s shirt. “Let me make it up to you?”

Hakyeon grins and draws back, giving Hongbin a quick peck on the lips.

“If you insist,” he smirks, and let Hongbin lead him back into the bedroom where the others stayed.


	33. Ravi/Ken - No such a thing as a free meal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: raken/wonjae/raven?? whatever heck this ship is called! prompt where they're broke college students and pretend to be a couple to get a free meal on valentine's day or something and find out they're the newest hot couple of the campus rumor mill the next day ^^
> 
> 16/01/31

“Say _ahhh_ ,” Jaehwan giggles, holding out the spoon towards Wonshik, who, after a moment’s floundering, leaned forwards and took a bite. He grins weakly at his friend, nodding as he chewed.

“It’s good,” he says, and Jaehwan practically wiggles in his seat, eyes sparkling.

“Now you feed me!” he says enthusiastically, handing Wonshik the spoon. He complies, taking the utensil and scooping up a spoonful of rice. Jaehwan’s waiting for him with his chin propped up on both hands, batting his eyelashes in the most exaggerated manner. Wonshik would’ve snorted out loud if half the restaurant didn’t have their eye on them already.

“Here,” he says, pretending to gaze lovingly at his quote-unquote boyfriend, who is incidentally the mastermind behind this evening plan.

Jaehwan takes a bite, beaming happily up at Wonshik. In turn, Wonshk swipes at Jaehwan’s lower lip with his thumb, mumbling, “You’ve got rice on you, moron,” and he swears he hears a sigh from someone sitting at the table over.

“Gentlemen.”

He looks up to see their waiter standing by, holding out a specialty menu decorated in red and pink and glitter. “Would you like to see our couples dessert menu for our Valentine’s day special tonight?” he asks. “Any choice of dessert is available for free to the happy pair.”

“Ooh, yes please,” Jaehwan says at once, taking the menu. “What would you like, darling?” he asks, Wonshik, flipping the book open. Wonshik stifles a laugh behind his hand. Jaehwan is laying it on thick tonight. “Oh! Tiramisu! It’s been so long since I’ve had it!”

“Then we should definitely have that one,” Wonshik agrees. “The chocolate coffee one please,” he tells the waiter, since Jaehwan likes the chocolate and he’s alright with coffee flavouring. The menu is retrieved, dessert is ordered, and Jaehwan is holding up another spoonful of rice for him.

“This is the best idea I’ve ever had,” Jaehwan whispers smugly when Wonshik leans in. “I told you all we had to do is say a few cutesy things and make heart eyes at once another. They gobbled it right up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Wonshin whispers back, taking a sip of his drink. “We got your free meal, happy now?”

“Duh,” Jaehwan laughs. “You’re gonna be my go-to partner for this from now on— we are so doing couples night at the bar and covering those summer half-price deals. D’you think there’s such a thing as statuary holiday couple discounts too?”

“You’ll have to check,” Wonshik shrugs, and Jaehwan’s eyes practically gleam.

“Oh, you bet I will,” he smirks, twirling the straw in his own drink. “You can count on that.”

+

It’s Saturday the next morning, so Wonshik doesn’t bother setting an alarm. When he crawls out of bed, only a little before noon, he dresses and brushes up while texting Sanghyuk, asking where his roommate’s gone. Sanghyuk replies quickly, directing Wonshik to the café next to the student dorms, and he hurries downstairs to grab lunch without knowing the surprise that was waiting for him across the street.

“You!” Hakeyon yells when he walks in, drawing every pair of eyes onto them. Wonshik stares as he hurries over, a little put off by the sudden whispering in the place.

“What?” he says, a little defensively. He tries to think of how he could’ve possibly offended the older student, but Hakyeon’s grinning, and Sanghyuk and Hongbin are both laughing at something.

“Should I offer you a congratulations?” Hakyeon asks, waggling his eyebrows. “Or should I be mad that you didn’t let us in on this first?”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Wonshik demands, and that’s when Hongbin spins his laptop around, showing Wonshik the page he’s on. It’s one of the university’s social sites, usually breeding ground for silly comments and memes and the occasional post about fundraising events at school with badly photoshopped flyers.

But today, the site is clogged with a dozen threads with his name on it— and Jaehwan’s.

“What the heck is this?” Wonshik splutters, dropping quickly down into his seat. He scans the posts, reading everything from _omg that couple at the Couples-Eat-Free vday event at Jelly’s was adorable!_ to _isn’t one of the dude the guy who exhibits at the campus art show?_

“W-when did this happen?” he stammers, reeling.

“Someone sent a snapchat of you guys being all cutesy at that restaurant yesterday night,” Hongbin jokes. “And somebody else recognized you, and they posted it. I almost couldn’t believe it.”

“You should’ve said something if you were dating!” Hakyeon yells, slapping Wonshik in the shoulder. “To think I’ve been introducing you as that single-since-birth backup dancer at the club!”

“Oi!” Wonshik protests, but the bell on the door jingles and Sanghyuk’s expression lights up into a devilish one.

“Taekwoon and Jaehwan’s here,” he grins, and Wonshik can feel the blood physically drain out of his face. Taekwoon, Jaehwan’s roommate and friend, is notoriously defensive over Jaehwan ever since someone made a nasty comment about his artwork at one of the live shows (Wonshik vividly remembers seeing the unlucky guy with a black eye for a week straight). He can feel his neck creaking stiffly as he turns to greet Jaehwan and face Taekwoon, who’ll probably be his worst nightmare in a few seconds.

“Mornin’,” Hakyeon greets. “Did you guys see?” Damn him.

“Yeah,” Jaehwan nods, and Wonshik’s surprised to see how nervous he is. It’s subtle, but the corners of Jaehwan’s mouth is tight when he smiles, and he’s sitting with a rather rigid posture when he grabs the seat next to Wonshik’s. Taekwoon slides into the chair next to Hongbin, eyeing Wonshik with a cool gaze.

“You alright?” Wonshik asks quietly, looking at Jaehwan. He gets a little smile in response.

“Yeah. Are you? I mean, this whole rumour all started because of me—”

“I’m okay with it,” Wonshik mumbles back hurriedly, and Jaehwan’s eyebrows go up. “I mean,” he flushes. “Like, I don’t have a problem with them talking about— us. Even if it’s not real— well, if I could be in a rumour relationship with someone, I— I wouldn’t mind if it’s you?”

“R-really?” Jaehwan stares. There’s a bit of pink in his cheeks, and Wonshik is suddenly aware of how warm his sweater is around his neck, how the others are pretending to hide behind the laptop (except for Taekwoon, who’s squinting at Wonshik now).

“ ‘Course,” Wonshik nods, and cringe when his voice cracks. He clears his throat and snags one of the menus at the end of the table. “I haven’t eaten yet; what’s the special today?”

“Not something couple-y, I’m afraid,” Sanghyuk says, barely able to get his words out because of how hard he’s laughing. Jaehwan throws his napkin at him, huffing, and Wonshik tries not to think too much into Jaehwan’s unnaturally flustered appearance and how his own stomach is flip flopping.

That meal was just a joke, a little way of saving money and having fun. It couldn’t have meant anything for them, right?

Right?


	34. N/Hongbin - When I look at you (and you're looking to someone else)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: chabean w/ cha's unrequited love but he helps hong w/ his crush??
> 
> 16/01/31

“What about this one?” Hongbin asks, stumbling out of the bedroom. He stands in front of Hakyeon, who’s reclining in the sofa with his laptop on his lap and his textbook open next to him.

“Looks good,” he answers honestly, taking in the light-blue button up and light wash jeans Hongbin’s changed into. He’s said the same thing about the last four outfits Hongbin’s tried on, and he hasn’t lied once; Hongbin looks stunning in whatever he’s wearing— but that just might be his own biased opinion.

“It’s not too casual, is it?” Hongbin frowns, regarding his own expression in the closet mirror. “The restaurant’s not high class, but what if he dresses nicely? What if I’m underdressed?”

“You won’t be,” Hakyeon replies. The word document he has open has been blank for the past twenty minutes.

“I don’t want to look bad,” Hongbin whines, walking back into the living room. He eyes the clothes he’s strewn all over the place and heaves a sigh. “I want to make a good first impression,” he admits, shoulders drooping, and Hakyeon’s heart caves in.

“Here,” he says, setting his laptop aside. He swoops around the room, snatching up a pair of dark pants and a navy blue sweater. “Throw these on instead. You’ll look classy, but not over the top, okay?”

“Alright,” Hongbin nods, taking the articles of clothing. He shoots Hakyeon a wobbly smile and bolts for the bathroom, slamming the door after him. Hakyeon heaves a sigh and rubs his forehead, glancing around.

He tries not to think about how Hongbin is going on a date with his crush, nervous and giddy, while he’ll sit alone in the apartment waiting for _his_  crush to return, feeling gloomy and drained.

His thoughts are interrupted when Hongbin bursts out of the bathroom, arms spread for Hakyeon to take a look. He can’t stop himself from smiling fondly when he sees the ensemble; Hongbin looks cute, like one of those café-goers who sips sweetened lattes and reads old paperback novels.

“Looks good,” he nods. “Are you ready to go?”

Hongbin gnaws on his lip, shooting Hakyeon a hopeful look. “Actually, I was hoping you could… walk with me there? For moral support?”

His stomach drops to somewhere around his feet, and it takes a moment for him to re-orient himself. “Sure,” Hakyeon nods, flapping his arms a little awkwardly at his sides. “I’ll walk you.”

Hongbin’s smile is dazzling, and it leaves him with a physical _ache_  in his chest. “Thank you!” he cries, giving Hakyeon a quick hug before they’re hurrying out the door, bundled up against the chilly winter weather.

It’s dark outside, streets lit up only by the lamps lining the sidewalks. Hakyeon revels in it a little, because the scenario is a little romantic and Hongbin has his arm looped around Hakyeon’s elbow, chattering away at something that happened today. He secretly holds to the fact that Hongbin is more comfortable with him than his crush, would willingly as Hakyeon to help him handle his personal affairs, and in the end, rely on him for support when he’s full of insecurity and worry.

He takes all of it in, before he’s completely replaced.

“There he is,” Hongbin breathes, coming to a halt. Hakyeon stops and peers across the street, through the windows of the cozy little restaurant they’re standing in front of. It looks romantic and warm inside, and Hakyeon wonders which of the men sitting at the tables might be Hongbin’s date.

“Oh god, I can’t do this,” Hongbin whispers, looking faint, and Hakyeon immediately spins around.

“Hey,” he says softly, taking Hongbin by the shoulders. “It’s fine, Hongbin. It’s only a date. You’re supposed to have fun, remember?”

“Right, fun,” Hongbin echoes. He swallows, and Hakyeon gives him a light pat on the cheek.

“Go on,” he encourages, even as something in his chest twists painfully. “You can do this, okay?”

Hongbin nods, gathering himself. He takes a step forwards, and Hakyeon lets his hands slide from his friend’s shoulder. Hongbin turns and gives Hakyeon a little wave as he goes, eyes wide and mouth curved up into a nervous smile as he makes his way towards the restaurant. Hakyeon forces the corners of his mouth up too, and he shoos Hongbin forwards until the other finally turns his back and walks inside. He drops his hand and thrusts them into the pockets of his puffy coat, shivering in the cold.

There’s no reason for him to stay outside anymore; he isn’t Hongbin’s parent, or anything. He treks through the light layer of snow on the sidewalk, silently wishing he’d worn boots instead of his sneakers.

He wishes the night air wasn’t so cold either, so he could take his hands out of his pockets and wipe the tears running down his cheeks.


	35. Hyuk/Ken - Fight Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hyuken- enemies discover they actually have huge crushes on each other (my favorite cliche)
> 
> 16/01/31

“He had no right,” Sanghyuk hisses furiously, kicking at an empty can on the sidewalk. He scowled when it bounced on the curb and rolled away, leaving him with nothing else to vent his anger out on except Hongbin, who isn’t even paying attention at all.

“No right,” Hongbin agrees, attention on his phone.

“He ruined everything,” Sanghyuk goes on. “It’s not like he even _knows_  anything about digital design, or colours, or how good literary adaptations are made into visual form—”

“Horrible of him,” Hongbin nods, narrowly avoiding a trash bin as he jogs a little to keep up with Sanghyuk. “He’s done an awful injustice to you.”

“But worst of all,” Sanghyuk yells, startling a few pigeons waddling around on the street. “He got us thrown out of the anime club! How unfair is that!”

“Well, the two of you were screaming pretty loudly,” Hongbin replies, giving Sanghyuk a bored look. “And I’m pretty sure a fight would’ve broken out if the two of you weren’t separated.”

“Yeah, but he started it when he dissed Attack on Titan for Kill la Kill,” Sanghyuk huffs, setting his jaw stubbornly. He suspects Hongbin’s about to lose his eyeballs if his friend rolls them any harder.

“I cannot believe I’m having this conversation with you, Han Sanghyuk. Now shut up, I have to go find the required readings for my philosophy class. Go browse the graphic novel section or something and don’t get thrown out of this place either.”

“Shut up, I’m a civilized being,” Sanghyuk grumbles, tottering into the store after Hongbin. The look he got in response could only be described as scathing.

“Tell that to building security and Lee Jaehwan’s friend,” Hongbin says. “I’ve never met the guy before, but I’m pretty sure the two of us experienced a deep, spiritual connection the moment we had to drag your sorry asses out the door.”

“I don’t like how you like using long sentences to describe all the bad things I’ve done,” Sanghyuk complains. Hongbin scoffs and turns the corner, disappearing into a packed aisle while Sanghyuk huffs and goes the other way.

He finds the graphic novels section in the back, with its rows and rows of glossy-covered mangas and larger American comics lined up on the shelves. It’s quieter back here, but Sanghyuk has a feeling it wouldn’t be for much longer because lo and behold, there is a familiar figure standing in front of the shelves. Last time they saw each other, Hongbin was yanking him out by the collar and the other was being hauled off by another man.

Lee Jaehwan looks up, holding several thick volumes in his hand, and his eyes widen when he spots Sanghyuk.

“You,” Sanghyuk hisses venomously, and Jaehwan’s lip curls.

“ _You_ ,” he mocks, glaring. “The hell are you here for?”

“Books,” Sanghyuk snaps, stepping forwards challengingly. “It’s a free country, I can go where I like.”

“ ‘s that so,” Jaehwan snorts, yanking another volume off the shelf, and Sanghyuk glances down, completely prepared to start shit over whatever Jaehwan is collecting, Hongbin’s warnings be damned.

But to his surprise, he realizes he can’t.

“You’re reading Full Metal Alchemist?” he says in surprise. Jaehwan’s eyebrow arches.

“Uh, yeah?”

“You’ve _never_  read it before?” Sanghyuk splutters, but Jaehwan immediately makes an indignant noise of protest.

“Of course I have! I’m just buying the hard copies for myself,” he yells. “I finished re-watching the anime last week and I didn’t want to read it all online.”

“Having the real book is a lot more legit,” Sanghyuk agrees readily, managing to surprise himself the moment the words leave his mouth. Jaehwan seems startled too, at the fact that they’re actually agreeing on something.

“Definitely. I save up New Year’s and birthday money for it all the time,” he says, and Sanghyuk lets out a burst of surprised laughter

“Yo, same,” he grins, and watches as Jaehwan’s mouth slowly lifts into an interested smile as well.

“Did you know the comic store down in the tourists’ village square gives pretty good discounts on bundles over ten?” Jaehwan asks, quirking his eyebrows. “It’s real good for when you’re trying to collect a whole series. I did that with my Naruto volumes.”

“Oh my god, how many of those do you have?” Sanghyuk demands, and Jaehwan immediately replies, “The entire set, duh.”

“ _Same!_ ” Sanghyuk bursts out, and Jaehwan lets out an excited shout, holding his hand up for a high five. Sanghyuk smacks his palm against Jaehwan’s without a second thought, grasping Jaehwan’s hand as the two of them bounce in excitement.

He notices then how Jaehwan’s a little smaller than he is up close, even though the other is older than he is. He’s got a shockingly plush mouth, which looks rather pretty when Jaehwan’s smiling, and his cologne reminds Sanghyuk of those expensive fragments Hongbin wears when he’s going out on dates. He’s aware of the warmth of Jaehwan’s hand against his, and how his own hand actually dwarfs Jaehwan’s smaller ones.

They stare at each other, both momentarily at loss for words, and then they spring apart like they’ve been shocked.

“Well,” Jaehwan says, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. Sanghyuk clears his throat.

“It’s fun,” he says, trying to gloss over the awkward moment. “Manga. And anime. It’s fun.”

“Yeah,” Jaehwan nods. He shoots Sanghyuk a quick glance and bites his bottom lip. “Hey, d’you think I should try to take up Attack on Titan? I mean, a friend told me it was pretty good… so…”

“You should,” Sanghyuk nods at once. “Watch with me.”

The words are out before he could stop that too, but he doesn’t miss the way Jaehwan actually lights up at the offer. His heart is suddenly pounding in his ribcage and he’s very short on breath, like he’s just done a full sprint down the street.

“Sure thing,” Jaehwan says, smiling up at Sanghyuk. He wills himself not to blush as he grins back in response.

“Sounds like a plan.”


	36. N/Ken - Strange Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Haken- hakyeon is hosting a party and a stranger (jaehwan) shows up in his house and strangely enough makes the party better
> 
> 16/02/04

When Hakyeon stumbles into the kitchens for a breather, he’s horrified to see that the clock mounted on the stone wall only reads 7:05pm— barely three hours since the party began. How could it have only possibly been three hours? He feels like it’s been eons since this horrid event started.

“Psst, Hakyeon!”

He turns to see Hongbin, his cousin, hovering in the doorway. When they catch each other’s eye, Hongbin jerks his head towards the lounge. “What’re you doing in there? You still have to talk to Lord Yang and his troupe of friends.”

“I can’t do this,” Hakyeon pleads, clutching at the front of his outfit. All the decorative accessories dangling from his lapels and the constricting bowtie makes the garment feels like a straightjacket on him, and he can’t wait to crawl out of it later on in the night.

Hongbin huffs and latches onto Hakyeon’s arm, dragging him back out. Hakyeon digs the heels of his shiny shoes into the floor and whines.

“Bin, don’t, what can I even say to these men? They’re military.”

“I dunno,” Hongbin grunts. He looks just as stressed as Hakyeon is; his gelled-back bangs are starting to fall into his eyes. “Just go over there and crack a joke. Make it work.”

“This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” Hakyeon groans, forcing himself back upright when Hongbin shuffles them hurriedly back into the party. The servants have cleaned and decorated the main floor of the house in an elegant fashion, no doubt used to the types of decorations Hakyeon’s father dished out whenever he threw a party. But his parents are away tonight, gone up north to visit Hakyeon’s grandparents, leaving him some rather poorly-outlined instructions for hosting a gathering in their stead. Not even the servants could save Hakyeon from his fate of suffering through what might be the worst party ever to happen in town.

“This whole event is barely hanging on as it is,” Hongbin whispers. “If you disappear now, it will for sure fail, and you will for sure become the laughing stock tomorrow morning. Just grin and bear it!”

“Easy for you to say,” Hakyeon nearly cries. He can see Lord Yang and his boisterous group of friends standing by the refreshments table, laughing at something. He pales horribly.

“Just go,” Hongbin hisses, shoving Hakyeon forwards. He stumbles and shoots Hongbin the most betrayed look over his shoulder (his cousin gives him a guilty little shrug). He gulps, straightens his back, and faces the crowd of men. Oh god, he can’t do this.

“Gentlemen,” Hakyeon squeaks, edging forwards and doing his best to avoid flailing, beefy arms. “How are you all doing tonight?”

“Mister Cha!” Lord Yang booms— Hakyeon winces at the volume and the casual honorific— “We’re doing fantastically, my boy. Your friend here has been entertaining us with the most hilarious tales of his travels in the southern harbours!”

“My what?” Hakyeon asks, startled, and several men stand aside to reveal an unfamiliar face standing at the other end of the circle. This man is younger than all of the middle-aged lords surrounding them, and he wears a uniform that echoes military origins but lacks any distinct markers or medals. He’s got a slightly foreign appearance, enough to look different but not too out of place. He smiles when he sees Hakyeon gaping at him, even though they both know there’s no way this stranger was here by proper invite.

“You must tell him to recount his story of the wine merchant and the travelling prophet again sometime,” Lord Yang continues, oblivious to Hakyeon’s utter confusion. “It is a wondrous tale! You’ve got well-travelled friends, Mister Cha.”

“Do I,” Hakyeon manages, and the stranger grins cheekily at him. He thinks fast. “Well, I’m sorry to interrupt, my Lords, but I must borrow him for a moment…”

“Stealing him away already?” Lord Yang laughs, even as the stranger obediently steps forwards to Hakyeon’s side. “Well, make sure you come on over again soon, Mister Lee. I’m looking forwards to more of your stories.”

“Of course, my Lord,” this mysterious Mister Lee says, bowing slightly, and Hakyeon stifles a gargle in his throat before dragging the stranger into a secluded corner of the room.

“Alright, what gives?” Hakyeon whispers, narrowing his eyes at the stranger in the semi-darkness. “Who are you? How did you get in?”

“Relax,” the man laughs. He reaches into the folds of his uniform and pulls out one of the silver invitations Hakyeon’s father sent out weeks ago. “My name is Lee Jaehwan. I’m here on behalf of Lord Song. I was hired to represent him while he is travelling for emergency reasons. I sent a message a few days ago to notify you— did you not receive it?”

“Not at all,” Hakyeon stares. He thinks of the pile of telegrams up in his father’s office and curses himself for not checking them properly.

“Oh,” Mister Lee hums. He’s still smiling. “I apologize for surprising you then.”

“It’s fine,” Hakyeon grunts. He sneaks a fretful look out from around the statue that’s blocking them from view. The party is trudging along well enough; most of the guests are speaking amongst themselves and have formed little posses all over the room. He’s surprised nobody’s complained about how disorganized he is yet; he hasn’t even gotten around to greeting all of his guests properly.

“First time throwing a party?” Mister Lee asks, and Hakyeon bristles.

“Maybe,” he answers stiffly, and Mister Lee laughs.

“Don’t worry, I saw you dashing around earlier like a fire was on your heels,” the man teases, nudging him with a weird familiarity. Hakyeon can’t tell if he’s being made fun of or comforted. “I went ahead and chatted with a bunch of people and told them stories and stuff. Suffice to say they were mostly entertained, probably because of my charmingly foreign looks.”

“Your charmingly foreign looks,” Hakyeon echoes, shooting Mister Lee a deadpan look. The other winks at him— winks!— and smiles roguishly. To his own horror, Hakyeon feels his heart thud in his chest.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help,” Mister Lee shrugs. “You looked like you needed a hand.”

Hakyeon winces and tugs at his collar. He feels warm.

“I know a couple of really good jokes,” Mister Lee adds offhandedly, watching Hakyeon’s wavering expression. “And I can do parlour magic tricks.”

“Alright,” Hakyeon breaks, pressing his palms over his face with a groan. “Please. Mister Lee or whatever you said your name was. Help me out.”

He feels warm fingers wrap around his wrists, tugging his hands off his face. Mister Lee is standing close, a bright grin on his face, and Hakyeon flushes at their close proximity.

“With pleasure,” Mister Lee chuckles, throaty, and he tucks Hakyeon’s hand into the crook of his elbow like they were heading out for a dance. “And please, do call me Jaehwan.”

Hakyeon splutters, struggling to compose himself at the absolute casualness radiating off this strange man, and Jaehwan’s laugh is like the sound of wind chimes as he pulls Hakyeon out from the shadows and back into the party once more.


	37. OT6 (Ken centric) - You Were All There For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: ot6 prompt where jaehwan is the son of somebody important and he finally realizes in college that the 5 friend's he's grown up with are actually his bodyguards. can be funny or angsty, up to you!
> 
> 16/02/04

He’s not sure how it happens, actually (everything went by way too quickly and Hakyeon tends to merge his consonants together when he’s stressed), but Jaehwan sort of gets the gist of it: what he thought was just some dude trying to mug him on his way back to the dorm was actually someone trying to kidnap him for ransom, and his friends— his five _best friends_ — are in fact his undercover bodyguards.

“I knew this day would come,” Hakyeon is saying furiously from the front seat. He’s texting madly on his phone. “The one time! The one time we let him go out alone! He’s nearly lifted right off the damn street.”

“Hakyeon, calm down,” Wonshik says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He shoots Jaehwan a look in the rearview mirror as he maneuvers the armoured SUV through downtown traffic, and Jaehwan stares back, still trying to understand what’s going on.

“What d’you mean, ‘let me go out alone’?” he finally asks. In the front, Hakyeon and Wonshik exchange looks.

“Well, see, we always have someone tailing you when it’s late at night, just in case,” Hakyeon says slowly.

“In case something like this happens?” Jaehwan says, and Hakyeon exhales through his nose.

“That’s right,” his oldest friend says.

“But you guys can’t be— be _bodyguards_ ,” Jaehwan stammers. “I mean, I’ve known all of you guys since I was little!”

“We’ve been training to protect you since we were little,” Wonshik replies, and Jaehwan stares.

“So everything you’ve all done up till now—”

“We’ve always been watching over you,” Hakyeon cuts in. He gives Jaehwan a placating glance over his seat. “We’ll explain it all once we get to the safe house, okay?”

“ _We_ ,” Jaehwan repeats, and he can’t hold back the hysterical little noise that escapes him before he redirects his gaze to Wonshik. “We’re going to a safe house— and Wonshik’s driving us! Why are you driving!” he yells, pointing, and Wonshik winces. “You told me you didn’t have your licence! That’s why you always walked with me back to the dorms!”

“Um, about that,” Wonshik says meekly as he makes a perfect lane change (complete with proper signal and traffic checks), and Jaehwan splutters.

“This is not happening,” he says faintly. “Not happening.”

+

But alas, it is.

Having bodyguards in general is nothing new to him, not when he grew up in a huge mansion full of them and got picked up and dropped off to school every single day by no fewer than three buff guys in suits, but Jaehwan had thought that his father might’ve laid off with assigning people to literally tail him everywhere he went when he got older. But he never would’ve guessed he was being watched by a completely different group of people.

He couldn’t help but gape when the others arrive; Taekwoon, who he’s known for as long as Hakyeon, Hongbin, who Jaehwan used to defend for getting teased, and Sanghyuk, who was the cheeky little freshmen he befriend back when they were in _high school_. His friends slash bodyguards pile into the kitchen silently, sliding backpacks off their shoulders or dropping duffle bags under the table as they gather around the table.

The solemness of the room is starting to suffocate him, and he can’t help but break the silence. “Is that all of you? You’re not gonna tell me that— that Changsub from my stats class is actually working for my dad too? Or Heeyeon at the campus pub hasn’t been monitoring who I’m chilling with during happy hour?”

The silence, if anything, gets heavier.

“No,” Taekwoon finally says. He’s watching Jaehwan closely. “It’s just us.”

Jaehwan swallows. “Yeah?” he asks. “Well, that’s good.”

“Jaehwan,” Hakyeon begins. His expression is pinched. “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to lie to you.”

“Nah, my dad probably told y’all not to mention this to me,” Jaehwan shakes his head. “I _knew_  something was up when he okayed me applying for residence.”

“Are you mad?” Hongbin asks, and Jaehwan’s never seen him speak so cautiously. Hongbin, who loves sassing him and telling Jaehwan off for trying to act cutesy for favours— he doesn’t like how they’re all trying to tread on thin ice with him right now. Weren’t they all friends?

“I’m not,” he assures them. “I’m just really surprised, even though I’m used to this by now.”

“We didn’t follow you to your university just because your dad told us to,” Sanghyuk bursts out. He leans across the table and seizes Jaehwan’s hands, startling him. “We stayed with you because you’re our friend and we can’t let you get hurt.”

That surprises him. “Um,” Jaehwan blinks. “That’s okay, you know, I’m used to people coming after me from time to time because of my dad’s job—”

“And that scares us, you know,” Wonshik interrupts. A muscle is jumping in his jaw. “If you get hurt, we’ll never forgive ourselves.”

“We’ll do anything to keep you safe, Jaehwan,” Hakyeon says, his voice low and fierce, and when the others nod in agreement, Jaehwan pales.

“No!” he yells, leaping to his feet. His hands slide out of Sanghyuk’s hold as he makes a giant _X_  with his arms. “Enough! Why are you all talking like you’ll leap through flaming hoops for me? This is too serious! Stop being serious!”

“Someone tried to kidnap you tonight,” Taekwoon says, and there’s anger and guilt in his voice. “You were almost taken from us, and we weren’t there to protect you.”

“And hey, guess what, I’ve got ten years of Taekwondo under my belt and I fight dirty,” Jaehwan cries. “That’s the life of the son of a Very Important Guy. Like, damn, I had no idea all of you were working so hard to look after me, but I’m grateful.” He swallows, and tries to offer his friends a wobbly smile. Don’t cry, he scolds himself, even as his vision gets watery and a lump forms in his throat. “I’m really grateful,” he whispers, swiping at his eyes, and the stunned silence finally breaks.

“Oh, Jaehwan,” Hakyeon says, drawing him into a hug immediately. “Jaehwan, you’re precious to us.”

“It’s more than your dad telling us to guard you,” Wonshik adds, and Jaehwan can tell by the nasal quality of his voice that the biggest sap in their group is crying too. “We wanted to protect you because we love you.”

“Really now,” Jaehwan sniffles. He inhales sharply and grins weakly at them.

“ _Really_ ,” Hakyeon reiterates. “I think you should go rest. You’re in shock after everything that’s happened.”

“We’ll bring him up,” Sanghyuk says at once, swooping in to pull Jaehwan out of Hakyeon’s arms. “Don’t hog him, Hakyeon.”

“Just get him to bed,” Hakyeon pretends to huff as Jaehwan and Hongbin retrieve their bags. “And Wonshik, for god’s sake, go blow your nose.”

“Shut up,” Wonshik sniffs, puttering off for a tissue. Sanghyuk hums as he waddles up the stairs, arms still looped around Jaehwan. He’s never hidden out in this safe house before, but the others evidently have. They choose an empty bedroom, flick the lights on, and are quick to deposit Jaehwan on the large bed.

“We packed some of your clothes,” Hongbin says, holding out a bag for Jaehwan, but he’s shaking his head as he grasps Taekwoon and Hongbin by the wrists and tugs them down.

“Stay with me,” he says softly, and Taekwoon’s stormy expression from earlier finally wavers.

“There’s no room,” he tuts, rapping his knuckles lightly on Jaehwan’s head. “But,” he adds, when Jaehwan starts to pout. “I’ll tell Wonshik to get another mattress.”

“Good,” Jaehwan nods, shimmying out of his jeans. He doesn’t care to grab the clothes Hongbin brought, because Sanghyuk is already puling him down onto the pillows. Sleep sounds like a pretty good idea right now.

“Rest,” the youngest instructs, wrapping his arms around Jaehwan as Hongbin arranges himself on the other side.

“You’re safe now,” Hongbin says quietly, brushing Jaehwan’s bangs away from his face. Jaehwan smiles tiredly.

“I know,” he whispers back, because he’s got not one, but five friends taking care of him. And anybody that wants Jaehwan will have to face five different hells before they can even come close to hurting him again.


	38. Hyuk/Hongbin - Truly Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: So i know you write a lot of prompts...but... Can i request some hyukbin fluff? Maybe something like a soulmate AU? Thank you
> 
> 16/02/04

“Argh,” Hongbin hisses, wincing at the sharp jolt of pain at his knuckles, and he feels Sanghyuk’s fingers tighten around his wrist.

“Stop moving around,” his boyfriend murmurs, eyes never straying from the task at hand. “You’ll only make it worse.”

“But it _hurts_ ,” Hongbin sighs, looking down at his left hand. It’s resting on the table, propped up on a little cushion between them as Sanghyuk leans over his knuckles, tweezers in hand. With the utmost care and diligence, Sanghyuk squeezes the thin metal pieces around the narrow cactus spike embedded under Hongbin’s skin, tugging lightly. The intruding bit of plant is pulled from him, quite painlessly, and Sanghyuk sighs as he drops the little spike into the trash bin next to him.

“There,” he chuckles, threading his fingers through Hongbin’s. “All better, right?”

“Yes,” Hongbin mumbles, feeling his heart flutter as Sanghyuk casually brings their joined hands up to his lips for a little kiss. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” Sanghyuk smiles. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he does, and Hongbin’s suddenly drawn to them. He places his hand on Sanghyuk’s cheek and brushes his thumb against the high cheekbones, marvelling in the way Sanghyuk immediately tilts his head into Hongbin’s touch. His shivers at the way Sanghyuk’s watching him, fondness and curiosity in his gaze, like he can’t get enough of Hongbin or figure out what he’s up to.

“I should go back to the nursery,” Hongbin says, but there’s no conviction in his words. “There’s a lot of plants waiting for me to re-pot them.”

“Mhm,” Sanghyuk nods. His hair tickles Hongbin’s hand. “Especially the poor cactus that tipped over and injured your poor hand.”

“You can re-pot that one,” Hongbin huffs, and Sanghyuk laughs. Their legs tangle together under the table, sneakers smeared with fresh soil and bare ankles bumping against one another. The late spring weather is warm enough for them to go out in shorts when they’re lining up flowers for sale or tending to the other plants growing in the yard. Hongbin doesn’t like how his apron falls over the knees of his short legs— in comparison to Sanghyuk’s longer ones anyway— and makes it look like he isn’t wearing anything bottomwise under the apron.

“Or we can both just stay,” Sanghyuk suggests. His eyes flicker towards the empty yard and parking lot, devoid for any motion save for the light breezes that’s making flowers sway, leaves rustle, and the wind chimes sing. “I don’t think we’ll be getting a lot more business this afternoon.”

“Sounds good,” Hongbin nods, and Sanghyuk grins as he hops to his feet. Hongbin’s hand hovers awkwardly in the air for a moment, suddenly empty, but then Sanghyuk grabs his hand and pulls him off his stool as well. The warmth spreads right down his arm and up to his shoulders, familiar and so full of life. It’s one of the things Hongbin shamelessly marvelled about Sanghyuk when they first met and still does now; the way his soulmate is youthfulness and excitement and freshness personified. He’s cheeky, energetic and mischievous, which is certainly nothing like Hongbin’s collected calm and well-poised reservedness.

Not for the first time he wonders just how the two of them could possibly be made for each other, but the universe willed it— and Hongbin’s certain he’s fallen in love with Sanghyuk already.

There’s a hammock strung up between two strong trees in their backyard. They made it together a long time ago, probably when they first brought their countryside house, and it’s their favourite place to rest. Hongbin likes to lie on it in the evenings and think while Sanghyuk enjoys taking afternoon naps under the lovely shade of the trees. But more than anything else, it’s their favourite when the other is there with them, curled close together on the woven cloth because their bulky frames will fall off otherwise.

“So I’ve been thinking of expanding the house,” Sanghyuk hums when they’re settled together. He’s resting his head on the crook of his arm and his other is resting on Hongbin’s waist, keeping him close.

“We only just finished renovating the bathroom,” Hongbin says. He traces nonsensical patters on Sanghyuk’s chest (he’s wearing that blue shirt that looks really nice stretched across his broad shoulders). “We still haven’t properly cleaned that project up.”

“I was thinking we can just move the project outside onto the deck,” Sanghyuk grins. “Don’t even bother putting it all away.”

“Lazy,” Hongbin snorts, smacking Sanghyuk in the chest. He hand on his waist disappears and he feels their fingers linking together once more as Sanghyuk leans forwards, pressing his lips to Hongbin’s. He kisses in a soft, unhurried kind of way that makes Hongbin think of an eternity with his soulmate, and how it might feel to continue making a living in their nursery and grow old with together. He places his other hand on the nape of Sanghyuk’s neck, drawing his lover closer, and wonders just how many past lives they’ve spent together for Sanghyuk to feel so familiar against him. He wonders how many more future lives they’ll have together too.

“God, I love you,” Sanghyuk whispers when they pull away. His eyes are closed and he’s biting his lip, like he’s trying to hold himself back from spilling all of his words out. Hongbin’s heart stutters in his chest. He leans forwards, bumping their foreheads together.

“I know,” he replies, and smiles when he sees Sanghyuk relax. “I love you too.”

_I love you forever_ he doesn’t have to say, because he’s certain in his heart of hearts that Sanghyuk already knows that much.


	39. OT6 (Hongbin centric) - I'm Home Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompts: Hello, I've been reading your fics and I love them so much! Especially the OT6 ones! I'm a sucker for OT6 ;w; Can I give a prompt? Hongbin looks so tired with his schedules recently; with Moorim and going back and forth SK and Japan ;A; so OT6 with the others taking care of him in any kind of way?
> 
> 16/02/04

He wakes to fingers carding through his hair and little kisses pressed against the back of his neck, warm and intimate, and he wonders if he’s dreaming.

“Binnie?” somebody above him says, and Hongbin’s eyes flutters open in surprise. Not a dream, then.

It’s Jaehwan who’s lying on the bed next to him, playing with his hair, and when the elder realizes Hongbin’s awake now, his mouth curves into a bright smile.

“Mornin’,” Jaehwan says cheerfully. “Or— wait, it’s afternoon now. Afternoon!”

Hongbin blinks back. He takes a moment to gather himself in the unfamiliar setting: crisp white sheets, a room much cleaner than their dorm, and the smell of lavender and warm sugar; Hakyeon’s shampoo. And then, it all comes back to him— arriving in Japan, checking in at the hotel late, greeting the others, and then crashing before he’d even gotten around to saying hello to all of them.

“Oh my god,” Hongbin splutters, jolting upright. He hears Hakyeon yell indignantly behind him. “What time is it? Am I late? What’s the schedule? Where—”

“Whoa, relax,” Jaehwan interrupts, alarmed. He pushes Hongbin down by the shoulders and he topples back against Hakyeon, who’s quick to hug Hongbin tight and shush him soothingly.

“We’re on a break today,” Jaehwan explains. “Yesterday was the last day of Taekwoon and Wonshik’s LR showcase. We’ve got two days to ourselves before we move on to the next location.”

“Oh,” Hongbin mumbles, slumping. “I forgot.”

“No kidding,” Hakyeon hums, cuddling close. “You were so out of it last night.”

“Jetlag, probably,” Hongbin yawns, rubbing his eyes sleepily. There’s a brisk knock at the door, and Jaehwan tosses the blankets back as he leaps out of bed. Hakyeon and Hongbin both yelp when a chilly breeze seeps over them, but the bit of disgruntlement Hongbin feels melts away almost immediately when he sees Sanghyuk, Taekwoon and Wonshik enter the room, carrying two trays of breakfast foods with them.

“You’re up,” Wonshik says happily as Sanghyuk takes a running leap towards the bed (Hongbin and Hakyeon both scream and scramble backwards). The youngest flops onto the sheets with a broad grin on his face, latching onto one of Hongbin’s ankles.

“Hiya,” he smirks, dragging Hongbin over to the foot of the bed despite his loud protests. He gets an armful of Sanghyuk flopping onto him, six feet plus of bulk pinning him down onto the sheets as their lips meet. “Long time no see.”

“…I’m dying here,” Hongbin wheezes, and Sanghyuk laughs before rolling off.

“Don’t kill Hongbin before we can all say hi,” Wonshik scolds, draping his arms over Hongbin’s shoulders. Sanghyuk snorts.

“Oldies,” he teases, and gets a kick to the butt from a pouty Hakyeon.

“You’re all so noisy,” their leader complains. “It was so peaceful with just me and Jaehwanie taking care of Hongbin.”

“You two? Peaceful? You’re probably the reason why he woke up,” Sanghyuk retorts, and barely dodges a pillow to the face for his snark.

“Guys,” Hongbin huffs, trying and failing to hide his amusement from the chaos. Then, a spoonful of vegetables appear right in front of his face, courtesy of Taekwoon, who’s nudging the food insistently towards Hongbin with a stern expression on his face.

“You didn’t eat yesterday night,” he says firmly. “Stop goofing off and have a meal.”

“ _I’m_  not the one goofing around!” Hongbin cries, but Taekwoon just shoves the spoon into his mouth, cutting off the last word, and Wonshik laughs, low and throaty by his ear.

“Taekwoon! Feed me too!” Jaehwan demands, bouncing over. Taekwoon snorts and holds out a pair of chopsticks instead.

“Feed yourself,” he tells Jaehwan, who immediately whines and wiggles his way onto Hongbin’s lap.

“Unfair,” Jaehwan grumbles, sticking out his bottom lip.

“It’s not you we haven’t seen for nearly three weeks now,” Hakyeon chastises as he divides some truly spectacularly cooked egg rolls into bite-sized portions. “ _Spoil Hongbin Stupid_  day has barely begun and you’ve already tried to make it all about you.”

“Spoil what?” Hongbin repeats, dumbfounded, and absent-mindedly takes another bite of food Taekwoon is holding out to him.

“ _Spoil Hongbin Stupid_ day,” Sanghyuk repeats around a mouthful of rice. “Where we do nothing but stick to you like thoughtful leeches all day long.”

“Um,” Hongbin says, trying not to picture the imagery, but it seems like that’s a little too late now, given how Wonshik’s got one of his legs thrown over Hongbin’s hip and Jaehwan seems to have found a permanent seat on his lap.

“You’ve been working hard,” Hakyeon clarifies, shooting Hongbin a meaningful look. “We collectively decided that you should rest and treat yourself. And whatever it is you want to do, we’ll be there with you.”

“Even to the toilet,” Jaehwan snickers, seemingly unable to resist making a few immature jokes.

“What if I just want to laze around in the room all day?” Hongbin asks, tilting his head, and Hakyeon huffs.

“Then we’ll stay in and cuddle with you,” he replies, smiling gently. “As long as you’re resting and getting a proper vacation.”

“But don’t you guys want to go out—”

“We’ve already gone out,” Wonshik squeezes him. “But we haven’t seen you in forever. So let’s stay in and catch up, okay? Just let us spoil you, alright?”

“Cheesy dolt,” Sanghyuk laughs, and Wonshik splutters from behind Hongbin. His cheeks are probably red.

“Let’s rest then,” Hongbin says loudly, before Jaehwan could tease Wonshik and Taekwoon could give them all a noogie for being noisy. “That’s what I want to do.”

Hakyeon chuckles as he leans over, patting Hongbin’s cheek fondly.

“Sounds like a plan,” their leader announces, and Hongbin feels his heart swell when the others chorus their agreement.

He’s missed this, but it’s alright.

He’s home now.


	40. Ravi/Hyuk - You heal the scrapes on my skin (but not what hurts inside)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: wonsik and hyuk are friends, but wonsik tends hangs out with the cool kids and those cool kids happen to like bullying hyuk. when its done, he goes to patch hyuk up and cheer him up??
> 
> 16/02/05

He finds Sanghyuk sitting on the bottom step of his porch like he always does, small mouth set into a thin line as he stares at nothing. His clothes are roughed up and there’s dirt in his hair. His knees, scraped up from what might’ve been a fall, had bled, but had crusted over into crumbling scabs by the time Wonshik arrives.

“Hyukkie,” he pants, staring down at his friend. In return, Sanghyuk shoots him a dull look and says nothing even when Wonshik quickly takes his hand and pulls him into the house.

It’s silent inside; both his parents are still at work, so Wonshik tugs Sanghyuk up the stairs and into the larger bathroom in his parents’ bedroom. He ushers Sanghyuk to sit on the edge of the tub as he throws open cabinets and pulls out the box of bandaids, cotton swabs and antibacterial wipes that’s always at the ready.

Sanghyuk doesn’t make a sound as Wonshik gets to work on his knees, wiping away the bit of dried blood and dirt from the scrapes and applying bandaids with the utmost care. Even the sting of the wipes doesn’t make him flinch anymore, just as Wonshik’s noticed Sanghyuk’s stopped crying whenever the cool kids get their hands on him (and just as he’s noticed those kids are starting to emerge not entirely unscathed anymore either).

“Here,” Wonshik mumbles, wetting a towel under the tap. Sanghyuk takes the cloth and swipes it over his face and hair, clearing off any dust and grime. He grimaces and hands the towel back to Wonshik, who flounders a little as he rinses it.

“My mom brought popsicle sticks from the grocery store yesterday,” he says, and hope flickers in his chest when Sanghyuk finally looks up, interest sparking in his eyes. “Wanna grab some and watch _Space Invaders_  in the living room?”

“Sure,” Sanghyuk nods. He stands and exits the washroom quietly, leaving Wonshik to trail after him. They rummage through the fridge and retrieve their frozen treats before plopping themselves onto the couch. Wonshik flips to the right channel and they settle in, absent-mindedly licking at the popsicles. If he’d hoped Sanghyuk might cheer up a little like he usually does, there’s none of that. Sanghyuk’s gaze is fixed somewhere above the television, his focus on something other than the show.

And Wonshik, coward that he is, doesn’t want to press— can’t bring himself to address the tension in the room, but Sanghyuk finally turns and faces him. He reels the strained emotions in and deposits it all in Wonshik’s lap when he casually says, “I gave one of them a bloody nose today.”

Wonshik’s jaw drops and he stares, stunned. “H-how?” he stammers. Sanghyuk shrugs and raises a fist, taking a loose swing at the air.

“You just hit,” he replies. “Wasn’t that hard. He fell down crying like a baby.”

“Oh, geez, Sanghyuk— why—”

“He said he’ll tattle on me,” Sanghyuk shrugs. “But he won’t, probably. I mean, he’ll look pretty dumb if he does, wouldn’t he? Everybody knows what happened though. I bet he’ll tell you first thing tomorrow too, since you guys are in the same class.” _Since you guys always hang out_  is implied, and the weight of it hangs heavily in the air. Wonshik looks away. 

“I… I guess he will,” he mumbles, and Sanghyuk snorts loudly.

“Why do you still hang out with them?” he asks, almost scathingly. “They’re a bunch of jerks. They make fun of everyone in the class. Did you hear how they stole Namjoo’s coat and flung it up the tree? She had to go home in the rain yesterday wearing only her sweater.”

“I— didn’t know that,” Wonshik stammers, and Sanghyuk’s glare could only be described as cutting now.

“Well, now you do,” he says shortly. “And are you still going to chill with them all the time?”

Wonshik stares. He opens his mouth, but the words catch. He’s not certain why it does, not when he’s seen Sanghyuk come to him crying with bumps and bruises two years ago till now. Sanghyuk isn’t crying now— his friend’s eyes are cold and quietly accusing. When the silence stretches on, Sanghyuk scoffs and stands.

“So that’s how you are, huh,” he says, grabbing his backpack. Wonshik pales.

“Where are you going?” he calls, scrambling to his feet as Sanghyuk exits the living room.

“Home,” Sanghyuk barks. “Later, Wonshik.”

“Wait—”

The front door opens and closes even as he’s trying to drag his sneakers on properly. The television is still playing their show and the remains of his popsicle is melting in a sticky mess on the coffee table, but that’s the last of Wonshik’s worries right now.

He thinks of Sanghyuk and his scraped knees, both his teary eyes and hurt stare, and curses himself.

“Sanghyuk!” he yells, wrenching the door open again. “ _Wait!_ ”


End file.
